Frequency of tooth brushing and oral neutrophil count a pilot study

Abstract

Introduction: For maintaining good oral health, efficiency and frequency of tooth brushing is important. Accumulation of the microbial plaque on the tooth surface is a direct cause of gingivitis and that gingivitis may precede periodontitis.[10] Before the clinical signs of gingivitis become evident, neutrophils start appearing, acting as a first line of defense against invading microbes. By tooth brushing, though the percentage of gingivitis reduces, it is only minimal. This study was done to check the amount of oral neutrophil count in people who brush once and twice a day. Aim: To check the effectiveness of frequency of tooth brushing on gingival status and oral neutrophil count. Materials and Methods: 30 subjects who gave the informed consent participated in the study. At the baseline visit they were randomly assigned to (1) once a day tooth brushing group, (2) twice a day tooth brushing group, according to baseline gingival scores Followed by estimation of salivary neutrophil count. All were asked to use the same toothbrush and toothpaste and were recalled on the 16th day for re-evaluation. Results: Baseline GI scores and oral neutrophil count demonstrated no statistical differences between the two groups (P>0.05). At the 2‑week examination, even though statistically there was no significant difference but clinically, both oral neutrophil count and gingivitis reduction were more in twice a day toothbrushing group. Conclusions: Although there was no statistically significant difference in gingival scores and neutrophil count between the two groups, the result of this pilot study showed clinically greater reduction in neutrophil count in twice a day tooth brushing group. So this study shows some direction for conducting future studies in this area