Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, announced new research that found that twice daily powered toothbrushing using the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart toothbrush was significantly better in sustaining the effects of a common early-stage treatment for gum disease—scaling and root planing—than manual toothbrushing in adults with Stage I or II gum (periodontal) disease.
The findings of the research, carried out by clinical research specialists Salus Research and published in International Journal of Dental Hygiene 1, are a significant contribution to defining effective oral health and dental regimes for periodontitis sufferers to counter gum disease and its associated problems.
“The impact of poor oral health including major issues such as gum disease and its link to other conditions including cardiovascular and chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, and cancer is well established,” said Francesco Grillo, Business Unit Leader, Oral Healthcare at Philips. “On top, periodontal disease, the sixth most common human disease, is a significant health care, social, and economic burden 2. As a trusted partner to dental professionals, we always want to help patients achieve a higher degree of oral care at home between visits, with innovative solutions that have a real impact on improving people’s health. In line with our approach, this research is a significant addition to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the benefits of using a Philips Sonicare powered toothbrush when compared to manual toothbrushing.”
In 2021, the World Health Organization made the issue of oral health a much higher priority, something that Philips has been championing for 30 years partnering with the dental community. According to the WHO, severe periodontal diseases are estimated to affect around 19% of the global adult population, representing more than 1 billion cases worldwide 3. The main risk factors for periodontal disease being poor oral hygiene and tobacco use. The WHO’s adoption of a landmark resolution highlighted the importance of preventing oral diseases through both regular dental check-ups and good brushing at home.
In the last decade, studies have shown the extent of periodontal gum disease globally. A survey in China, for instance, revealed a prevalence rate for periodontal disease of 52.8%-69.3% in the 35 to 74 age group 3.
In the U.S., research in adults aged over 30 estimated a 42% prevalence with it increasing within age with 70.1% of adults 65 years and older having the disease 4.
The 24-week research study took place in the U.S. with 328 randomized participants whose average age was over 44, split 70:30 female to male, with 44.8% having Stage I periodontitis, and 55.2% Stage II. It compared two treatment groups who cleaned their teeth twice daily, one a powered toothbrush group who cleaned their teeth with a Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart toothbrush, and the other a manual toothbrush. All participants received sub-gingival cleaning (SRP) at the beginning of the study and used the same toothpaste and received replacement brush heads (Sonicare powered toothbrush group) or new toothbrushes (manual toothbrush group) every eight weeks. Evaluation of the two groups was every four weeks.
After 24 weeks there was a statistically significant treatment difference between the power toothbrush and manual toothbrush groups against a number of indicators. For the bleeding on probing (BOP) metric, measuring gum inflammation which is a key symptom of gum disease, there was a reduction of 0.24 in score for the Sonicare powered toothbrush group, compared with 0.02 for the manual toothbrush group – a statistically significant treatment difference of 0.22. There were also accompanying reductions in surface plaque – measured using Modified Plaque Index (MPI) – and probing pocket depth (PPD), a commonly used indicator of gum health, resulting in statistically significant treatment differences of 0.86 and 0.24, respectively.
The conclusion from the research is that when combined with scaling and root planing, daily home oral hygiene maintenance including a Sonicare powered toothbrush significantly reduced clinical symptoms of periodontitis and surface plaque levels, compared with a manual toothbrush in those with Stage I and II periodontitis. Patients using the Sonicare powered toothbrush experienced a longer and sustained healing response from their scaling and root planning treatment.
REFERENCES
- The effects of scaling and root planing plus home oral hygiene maintenance in Stage I/II periodontitis population: A 24‐week randomized clinical trial. International Journal of Dental Hygiene (2024)
- World Health Organization Key Facts, 14 March 2023, Oral health (who.int)
- The prevalence and severity of periodontal disease in Mainland China: Data from the Fourth National Oral Health Survey (2015–2016).
- Periodontitis in US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2014.
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring, and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2023 sales of EUR 18.2 billion and employs approximately 69,700 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.
