Introduction
orthodontic, gingivitis, caries, tooth brushing
GINGIVITIS, DENTAL PLAQUE, CARIES, PERIODONTAL DISEASE, PLAQUE
Bacteria present in dental plaque are the primary aetiological agents in caries and periodontal disease. Therefore, effective tooth brushing remains an essential health practice to minimize plaque accumulation. Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment have greater difficulty in maintaining optimal oral hygiene levels, when compared with non-orthodontic patients, due to the presence of the appliances, increasing their susceptibility to gingivitis and enamel demineralization [The meta-analysis undertaken by Kaklamanos and Kalfas [Thus, to date, there is limited evidence comparing the efficacy of manual against powered toothbrushes in the short term (≤8 weeks) and importantly, no evidence comparing their efficacy in the long term in fixed appliance orthodontic patients.This study aims to compare the efficacy of a powered versus manual toothbrush in controlling plaque and gingival health in participants undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment in respect of both the short term and long term.