AUTHOR=Luo Yuanyuan , Wang Danni , Li Yuxiao , Geng Dezhi , Yu Bei , Zhao Yueping , Xiang Qi 

TITLE=Digital imaging and qPCR analysis and comparison of short-term plaque removal effects of toothbrushing

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Dental Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 4 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/dental-medicine/articles/10.3389/fdmed.2023.1103602

DOI=10.3389/fdmed.2023.1103602

ISSN=2673-4915

ABSTRACT=Purpose  Digital image technology and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction（RQ-PCR） were used to determine the changes of dental plaque caused by different toothbrushing tools.
Methods  120 subjects were selected and divided into manual toothbrush group, manual toothbrush combined with oral irrigator group, electric toothbrush combined with oral irrigator group，electric toothbrush group , and compare the changes of plaque count, plaque area and colony colonization of 4 groups after using different cleaning tools forperiod of time. 
Results  Dental plaque count and plaque area decreased in all four groups; the decrease of plaque count and Streptococcus mutans in the electric toothbrush combined with  oral irrigator group were significantly higher than those in other groups. 
Conclusion  Electric toothbrush combined with oral irrigator for plaque removal effect is good; Digital image analysis combined with biological methods can be used to evaluate dental plaque.
Key words  Dental plaque;digital image analysis; cariogenic bacteria; toothbrush;oral irrigator;
real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction