Effects of Adjunctive Daily Blue Light Toothbrushing on Dental Plaque and Gingival Inflammation—A Randomized Controlled Study

Nadja Bjurshammar,Elisabeth Boström,Sebastian Malmqvist,Annsofi Johannsen,Conny Östman,Jonas Fyrestam,Gunnar Johannsen

doi:10.4236/ojst.2018.810027

Abstract

Phototherapy with blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) is gaining interest because of the efficient antimicrobial benefits reported in several studies in the last decade. The aim in this study was to investigate if a toothbrush with incorporated blue light used in daily oral care can reduce dental plaque and gingival inflammation. An 8-week single-blinded randomized controlled clinical study including 48 subjects compared effects of toothbrushes with/without 450 nm blue LED light emission, on clinical parameters (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing), and on inflammatory markers in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid. Significant reductions in dental plaque and gingival inflammation (p β and interleukin (IL)-8, were detected within both groups from baseline to follow-up. For all subjects dental plaque was reduced with 57%, and a reduction in gingival inflammation was demonstrated by a decrease in gingival index (GI) with 46% and in bleeding on probing (BOP) with a decrease of 15%. No significant differences were found between the groups at a level of p = 0.05. However, the amount of plaque was reduced by 62% in the blue light group and 51% in the control group, a difference established at a level of p = 0.058. A toothbrush with a 450 nm LED did not show any statistical significant adjunctive effect of toothbrushing regarding reduction in measurements of dental plaque and gingival inflammation.

Highlights

One of the most common infectious diseases is periodontal disease, i.e. gingivitis and periodontitis, where the most prevalent are plaque-induced gingivitis and chronic periodontitis [1]
For all subjects dental plaque was reduced with 57%, and a reduction in gingival inflammation was demonstrated by a decrease in gingival index (GI) with 46% and in bleeding on probing (BOP) with a decrease of 15%
There were thirteen drop-outs during the study and the reasons for that was that five subjects dropped out from the Dental Hygiene Program, one were pressed for time, one did not like the taste of the peroxide toothpaste, two experienced tooth hypersensitivity from the Pharmacy toothpaste, two felt the bristles of the toothbrush to hard and two of the drop-outs were of unknown causes

Summary

Introduction

One of the most common infectious diseases is periodontal disease, i.e. gingivitis and periodontitis, where the most prevalent are plaque-induced gingivitis and chronic periodontitis [1]. An in vivo study has shown that when illuminating with blue light at 455 nm for two minutes, using a light device at a clinic twice daily over a period of four days, the proportion of oral bacteria associated with periodontal disease was reduced [26]. A pilot clinical study has reported that a blue light-emitting toothbrush with a central wavelength of 412 nm was significantly more effective compared to a standard toothbrush for the reduction of dental plaque and gingival inflammation [27]. The aim of the present study was to investigate if toothbrushes with incorporated 450 nm LEDs can reduce dental plaque and gingival inflammation when used in daily oral care

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Discussion

Conclusion