Can a special toothbrush clean better around braces?
NCT ID NCT07810868
First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
Researchers are testing whether a toothbrush designed for braces, called Ortho-Buddy, removes more dental plaque than a standard toothbrush in adolescents with fixed orthodontic appliances. The study compares three brushing methods: a standard toothbrush alone, the Ortho-Buddy alone, and both together. Participants have their plaque measured before and right after a two-minute brushing session. The goal is to see which method leaves the least plaque behind.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Ortho-Buddy toothbrush, a device with nylon fibers on a wire that cleans around braces
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could give people with braces a more effective way to remove plaque and lower their risk of tooth decay and gum problems during orthodontic treatment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, short-term study of 48 adolescents that measures plaque right after brushing, not long-term dental health. A single brushing test may not reflect real-world habits, and the results may not apply to other age groups or brushing routines.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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48 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2022
- Finished
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Nov 2024
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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11 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Full complement of permanent teeth from first molar to first molar * Presence of full fixed orthodontic appliances on both arches for at least two weeks * Patients who had undergone premolar extractions for orthodontic purposes were eligible Exclusion Criteria: * Poor systemic health * Professional dental cleaning or scaling within two weeks before the study * Documented poor oral hygiene * History of tobacco use * Presence of a heart murmur * History of rheumatic fever * Pregnancy * Current chronic antibiotic therapy or antibiotic use within one month before the study * Chronic NSAID use * Chronic steroid use
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Rutgers School of Dental Medicine
Newark, New Jersey, 07103, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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