Electric toothbrush use. Attitudes and experience among dental practitioners in Germany.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the attitudes and experience of electric toothbrush use among dental practitioners in Germany. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A telephone survey of 399 dentists was conducted. RESULTS: Many dentists in Germany (41%) thought that between half and 70% of their patients do not clean their teeth correctly, and that this is the result of either poor brushing technique or insufficient brushing time coupled with insufficient visits to the dentist. Most dentists surveyed (61%) would recommend an electric toothbrush to their patients in order to improve oral hygiene control, and of these, 82% would recommend the Braun Oral-B Plaque Remover. When these dentists were asked if there had been any change in tooth and gum condition among those patients who switched from using a manual toothbrush to the Braun Oral-B Plaque Remover, 73% said that they had observed an improvement. None of the dentists interviewed had noted any deterioration. These views of German dentists are in agreement with laboratory and clinical studies that have shown an advantage for the Braun Oral-B Plaque Remover over a manual toothbrush. The results indicate that clinical trial results are a relevant way of assessing toothbrush performance, and that results may be extrapolated to normal home use.