Non-Cochrane · systematic review · PM42234020
Comparative efficacy of electric toothbrush technologies in plaque and gingivitis reduction: a network meta-analysis.
Luo Chenchen, Chen Nanyu, Jing Qiuyu, et al. · Clinical oral investigations · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.1007/s00784-026-06955-z
Findings
33 findings
| Population | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (RMNPI, scale 0 to 1) longest follow-up per study | MD -0.18 [-0.24, -0.12] GRADE not reported Studies not reported |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) single brushing episode, outcome immediately after brushing · Short-term single-use stratum | SMD -1.21 [-1.62, -0.8] GRADE not reported 4 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) single brushing episode, outcome immediately after brushing · Short-term single-use stratum | SMD -1.52 [-1.98, -1.06] GRADE not reported 7 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) intervention period of at least 1 week · Longer-term home-use stratum (>=1 week) | SMD -0.84 [-1.18, -0.5] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (MGI, scale 0 to 4) longest follow-up per study | MD -0.32 [-0.45, -0.19] GRADE not reported Studies not reported |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) longest follow-up per study | SMD -1.24 [-1.56, -0.92] GRADE not reported Studies not reported |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) intervention period of at least 1 week · Longer-term home-use stratum (>=1 week) | SMD -0.96 [-1.35, -0.57] GRADE not reported 12 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Sonic electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) single brushing episode, outcome immediately after brushing · Short-term single-use stratum | SMD -0.89 [-1.28, -0.5] GRADE not reported 4 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Sonic electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) intervention period of at least 1 week · Longer-term home-use stratum (>=1 week) | SMD -0.71 [-1.08, -0.34] GRADE not reported 12 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Sonic electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) intervention period of at least 1 week · Longer-term home-use stratum (>=1 week) | SMD -0.62 [-0.94, -0.3] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Sonic electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) single brushing episode, outcome immediately after brushing · Short-term single-use stratum | SMD -1.1 [-1.52, -0.68] GRADE not reported 7 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Sonic electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) longest follow-up per study | SMD -0.87 [-1.15, -0.59] GRADE not reported Studies not reported |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Ultrasonic electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) single brushing episode, outcome immediately after brushing · Short-term single-use stratum | SMD -0.68 [-1.12, -0.24] GRADE not reported 7 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Ultrasonic electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) single brushing episode, outcome immediately after brushing · Short-term single-use stratum | SMD -0.54 [-0.96, -0.12] GRADE not reported 4 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Ultrasonic electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) intervention period of at least 1 week · Longer-term home-use stratum (>=1 week) | SMD -0.43 [-0.82, -0.04] GRADE not reported 12 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Ultrasonic electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) intervention period of at least 1 week · Longer-term home-use stratum (>=1 week) | SMD -0.35 [-0.71, 0.01] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Other electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) intervention period of at least 1 week · Longer-term home-use stratum (>=1 week) | SMD -0.31 [-0.74, 0.12] GRADE not reported 12 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Other electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) single brushing episode, outcome immediately after brushing · Short-term single-use stratum | SMD -0.38 [-0.83, 0.07] GRADE not reported 4 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Other electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) single brushing episode, outcome immediately after brushing · Short-term single-use stratum | SMD -0.52 [-0.98, -0.06] GRADE not reported 7 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Other electric toothbrush | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) intervention period of at least 1 week · Longer-term home-use stratum (>=1 week) | SMD -0.25 [-0.65, 0.15] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) | SMD 0.82 [0.65, 0.98] GRADE not reported 19 studies · 1250 participants |
| Short-term (<=1 month) | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) Short-term (<=1 month) · Short-term (<=1 month) | SMD 0.88 [0.7, 1.06] GRADE not reported 8 studies · 500 participants |
| Elderly (>65 years) | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) Elderly (>65 years) | SMD 1.18 [0.58, 1.51] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 170 participants |
| Children (3-12 years) | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) Children (3-12 years) | SMD 1.05 [0.78, 1.32] GRADE not reported 4 studies · 200 participants |
| Children (<12 years) | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) Children (<12 years) | SMD 1.05 [0.78, 1.32] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 250 participants |
| Adolescents (12-17 years) | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) Adolescents (12-17 years) | SMD 0.75 [0.6, 0.96] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 180 participants |
| Children and adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) | SMD 0.82 [0.65, 0.99] GRADE not reported 19 studies · 1250 participants |
| Non-orthodontic patients | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) Non-orthodontic patients | SMD 0.68 [0.5, 0.86] GRADE not reported 16 studies · 1100 participants |
| Long-term (>1 month) | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) Long-term (>1 month) · Long-term (>1 month) | SMD 0.78 [0.61, 0.95] GRADE not reported 11 studies · 750 participants |
| Orthodontic patients | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) Orthodontic patients | SMD 1.18 [0.85, 1.51] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 150 participants |
| Adults (18-65 years) | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) Adults (18-65 years) | SMD 0.75 [0.6, 0.9] GRADE not reported 12 studies · 850 participants |
| Elderly (>=65 years) | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Plaque reduction (plaque index) Elderly (>=65 years) | SMD 0.32 [-0.05, 0.69] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 100 participants |
| Adults (18-65 years) | Electric toothbrush (any type) | Manual toothbrush | Gingivitis reduction (gingival index) Adults (18-65 years) | SMD 0.23 [-0.06, 0.68] GRADE not reported 8 studies · 650 participants |
Included primary studies 35
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa 2007 Efficacy of ultrasonic, electric and manual toothbrushes in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances. PMID:17319775 | 2007 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Adam 2020 Evaluation of an oscillating-rotating toothbrush with micro-vibrations versus a sonic toothbrush for the reduction of plaque and… DOI:10.1111/idj.12569 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Adam 2020 Evaluation of an oscillating-rotating toothbrush with micro-vibrations versus a sonic toothbrush for the reduction of plaque and… PMID:32243576 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Allocca 2018 Effectiveness and compliance of an oscillating-rotating toothbrush in patients with dental implants: a randomized clinical trial DOI:10.1186/s40729-018-0150-6 | 2018 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Allocca 2018 Effectiveness and compliance of an oscillating-rotating toothbrush in patients with dental implants: a randomized clinical trial. PMID:30536124 | 2018 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ccahuana-Vasquez 2017 A 5-week randomized clinical evaluation of a novel electric toothbrush head with regular and tapered bristles versus a manual toothbrush… PMID:30375187 | 2019 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ccahuana-Vasquez 2019 A 5‐week randomized clinical evaluation of a novel electric toothbrush head with regular and tapered bristles versus a manual toothbrush… DOI:10.1111/idh.12372 | 2018 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Costa 2007 Efficacy of Ultrasonic, Electric and Manual Toothbrushes in Patients with Fixed Orthodontic Appliances DOI:10.2319/0003-3219(2007)077[0361:eoueam]2.0.co;2 | 2007 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Danser 2000 A laboratory and clinical investigation comparing 2 oscillating/rotating electric toothbrushes DOI:10.1034/j.1600-051x.2000.027004277.x | 2000 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Danser 2000 A laboratory and clinical investigation comparing 2 oscillating/rotating electric toothbrushes. PMID:10783843 | 2000 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Danser 2003 Plaque removal with a novel manual toothbrush (X‐Active) and the Braun Oral‐B 3D Plaque Remover DOI:10.1034/j.1600-051x.2003.00114.x | 2003 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Danser 2003 Plaque removal with a novel manual toothbrush (X-Active) and the Braun Oral-B 3D Plaque Remover. PMID:12622856 | 2003 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Davidovich 2021 Randomised clinical study of plaque removal efficacy of an electric toothbrush in primary and mixed dentition DOI:10.1111/ipd.12753 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Davidovich 2021 Randomised clinical study of plaque removal efficacy of an electric toothbrush in primary and mixed dentition. PMID:33225464 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Davidovich 2024 A 4‐week randomized controlled trial evaluating plaque and gingivitis effects of an electric toothbrush in a paediatric population DOI:10.1111/ipd.13130 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Davidovich 2024 A 4-week randomized controlled trial evaluating plaque and gingivitis effects of an electric toothbrush in a paediatric population. PMID:37864381 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Dorfer 2001 A clinical study to compare the efficacy of 2 electric toothbrushes in plaque removal DOI:10.1034/j.1600-051x.2001.281101.x | 2001 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Dörfer 2001 A clinical study to compare the efficacy of 2 electric toothbrushes in plaque removal. PMID:11686818 | 2001 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Erbe 2019 A randomized clinical trial to evaluate the plaque removal efficacy of an oscillating-rotating toothbrush versus a sonic toothbrush in… DOI:10.2319/080317-520.1 | 2019 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Erbe 2019 A randomized clinical trial to evaluate the plaque removal efficacy of an oscillating-rotating toothbrush versus a sonic toothbrush in… PMID:30516414 | 2019 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Fjeld 2017 A 1-year follow-up of a randomized clinical trial with focus on manual and electric toothbrushes’ effect on dental hygiene in nursing homes DOI:10.1080/00016357.2017.1416166 | 2017 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Fjeld 2017 A 1-year follow-up of a randomized clinical trial with focus on manual and electric toothbrushes' effect on dental hygiene in nursing homes. PMID:29239260 | 2018 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Grender 2020 An 8-week randomized controlled trial comparing the effect of a novel oscillating-rotating toothbrush versus a manual toothbrush on plaque… DOI:10.1111/idj.12571 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Grender 2020 An 8-week randomized controlled trial comparing the effect of a novel oscillating-rotating toothbrush versus a manual toothbrush on plaque… PMID:32243573 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Khan 2022 Evaluation of the Efficacy of Manual Toothbrush Versus Power Toothbrush in Reduction of Gingivitis: A Comparative Clinical Study. PMID:36110608 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Lazarescu 2003 Efficacy of plaque removal and learning effect of a powered and a manual toothbrush DOI:10.1034/j.1600-051x.2003.00361.x | 2003 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Lazarescu 2003 Efficacy of plaque removal and learning effect of a powered and a manual toothbrush. PMID:12887341 | 2003 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Mareddy 2024 Comparative Evaluation of Plaque Removal Potential of Manual Electrical and Chewable Toothbrushes in Children: A Clinical Trial. PMID:39867114 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Nobre 2020 Assessment of the efficacy of the utilisation of conventional and electric toothbrushes by the older adults DOI:10.1111/j.1741-2358.2012.00635.x | 2014 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Nobre 2020 Assessment of the efficacy of the utilisation of conventional and electric toothbrushes by the older adults. PMID:25039577 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Pulayath 2024 Efficacy of Oral Hygiene Aids in Gingivitis Management: A Comparative Study of Manual and Electric Toothbrushes, Dental Floss, and… PMID:39926908 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Van der Weijden 1996 Comparison of an oscillating/rotating electric toothbrush and a ‘sonic’ toothbrush in plaque‐removing ability DOI:10.1111/j.1600-051x.1996.tb00565.x | 1996 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Van der Weijden 1996 Comparison of an oscillating/rotating electric toothbrush and a 'sonic' toothbrush in plaque-removing ability. A professional… PMID:8739175 | 1996 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Zimmer 2002 Clinical efficacy of a new sonic/ultrasonic toothbrush DOI:10.1034/j.1600-051x.2002.290604.x | 2002 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Zimmer 2002 Clinical efficacy of a new sonic/ultrasonic toothbrush. PMID:12296775 | 2002 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
Overlap with other reviews
Reviews that include the same primary studies are not independent evidence. Shared counts match studies by PMID, DOI or NCT, and otherwise by author and year (a probable match). Only the non-Cochrane dental reviews have study lists, so overlap with Cochrane reviews is not counted yet.
| Review | Shared studies | Jaccard |
|---|---|---|
| Powered vs. manual toothbrushes in fixed orthodontic patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2026) | 1 | 0.01 |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Children or adults with permanent or mixed dentition | Healthy adults, children, elderly, orthodontic patients, implant patients (n=19 RCTs, 23 to 150 participants each) |
| Intervention | Electric toothbrush (oscillating-rotating, sonic, ultrasonic, other electric) | Oscillating-rotating, sonic, ultrasonic and other electric toothbrushes (n=19 RCTs) |
| Comparison | Manual toothbrush (electric versus electric head-to-head trials also eligible) | Manual toothbrush and head-to-head electric comparators |
| Outcomes | Change in a validated plaque index and/or gingivitis index | Plaque index and gingivitis index (SMD) |
| Study designs | Randomized controlled trials (parallel-group and crossover) | RCTs (parallel, crossover, split-mouth; n=19) |
| Timing | Longest follow-up per study; stratified by single-use versus at least 1 week home use | Single-use (n=7) to 12 months |