Effects of Electric Toothbrushes on Periodontal Health and Oral Microbial Flora in Children With Space Maintainers

Objectives: To evaluate and compare the effects of electric and manual toothbrushes on periodontal health parameters and salivary microbial flora in children with fixed and removable space maintainers. Materials and methods: Sixty-eight children (30 girls, 38 boys; mean age 8.8 years) requiring fixed (n=34) or removable (n=34) space maintainers were randomly allocated to electric (n=17) or manual (n=17) toothbrush subgroups. Periodontal indices; plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PPD) and salivary levels of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus were assessed at baseline (T0), 1 month (T1), and 3 months (T2).