Question · asked by 1 review
Flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated floss) vs Toothbrushing alone: Plaque
- Population
- Dentate adults aged 16 years or older (excluding orthodontic patients and those with severe periodontal disease)
- Intervention
- Flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated floss)
- Comparison
- Toothbrushing alone
- Outcome
- Plaque
It is very uncertain whether flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated… changes plaque (Turesky-modified Quigley-Hein/other plaque indices; SMD) compared with toothbrushing alone (with or without a negative-control/placebo rinse) (very low certainty).
What each review found
Current versions onlyNo studies found 1 · 25%GRADE not reported 2 · 50%Very low 1 · 25%Low 0 · 0%Moderate 0 · 0%High 0 · 0%
| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated floss) vs Toothbrushing alone (with or without a negative-control/placebo rinse) Plaque (Turesky-modified Quigley-Hein/other plaque indices; SMD) · Dentate adults aged 16 years or older (excluding orthodontic patients and those with severe periodontal disease) · 1 month (mean 29 days) It is very uncertain whether flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated… changes plaque (Turesky-modified Quigley-Hein/other plaque indices; SMD) compared with toothbrushing alone (with or without a negative-control/placebo rinse) (very low certainty). Flossing for the management of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults (2011) · Cochrane All outcomes | SMD -0.23 [-0.52, 0.06] | 5 studies · 416 participants | Very low |
Flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated floss) vs Toothbrushing alone (with or without a negative-control/placebo rinse) Plaque (0-5 scale; SMD) · Dentate adults aged 16 years or older (excluding orthodontic patients and those with severe periodontal disease) · 6 months Flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated… showed no clear difference in plaque (0-5 scale; SMD) compared with toothbrushing alone (with or without a negative-control/placebo rinse); GRADE not reported. Flossing for the management of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults (2011) · Cochrane All outcomes | SMD -0.06 [-0.23, 0.12] | 3 studies · 487 participants | GRADE not reported |
Flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated floss) vs Toothbrushing alone (with or without a negative-control/placebo rinse) Plaque (0-5 scale; SMD) · Dentate adults aged 16 years or older (excluding orthodontic patients and those with severe periodontal disease) · 3 months Flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated… led to lower plaque (0-5 scale; SMD) compared with toothbrushing alone (with or without a negative-control/placebo rinse); GRADE not reported. Flossing for the management of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults (2011) · Cochrane All outcomes | SMD -0.20 [-0.36, -0.04] | 5 studies · 594 participants | GRADE not reported |
Flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated floss) vs Toothbrushing alone (with or without a negative-control/placebo rinse) Plaque (assessed by plaque indices) · Dentate adults aged 16 years or older (excluding orthodontic patients and those with severe periodontal disease) The review found no eligible studies for this question. Flossing for the management of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults (2010) · Cochrane All outcomesearlier version CD008829, superseded | no estimate extracted | Not reported | No studies found |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flossing for the management of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes | 2011-10 | Not listed | Not assessed |
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.