Plaque Removal in Children Using Charcoal and Nylon Toothbrushes

Efficacy of Plaque Removal and Antibacterial Properties of Charcoal Infused Bristle Vs Nylon Bristle Toothbrushes in Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial

This study will compare two types of toothbrushes in children: a charcoal-infused bristle toothbrush and a regular nylon bristle toothbrush. We want to see which toothbrush is better at removing plaque and reducing bacteria in the mouth. Children will be randomly assigned to use one of the toothbrushes. We will measure the levels of bacteria in small samples of fluid taken from the gums to see if one toothbrush reduces harmful bacteria more than the other.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Effectiveness of Charcoal-infused Versus Nylon Bristle Toothbrushes on Plaque Removal and Oral Bacterial Reduction in Children
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: soft charcoal infused bristle toothbrush (iLive) with bamboo handle; Device: soft nylon bristle toothbrush (Oral B JUNIOR 6-12)

Detailed Description

This study is a clinical trial designed to compare the effectiveness of two types of toothbrushes in children aged 6-10. One group of children will use a toothbrush with charcoal-infused bristles, while the other group will use a standard nylon bristle toothbrush. All children will be taught the same brushing technique and will brush their teeth twice daily for two minutes using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.The study will last two weeks. Researchers will measure four times how much dental plaque is removed from each child's teeth, collect samples from the gums to examine bacteria, and test the toothbrush bristles for bacterial contamination by counting bacterial colonies.The goal is to determine which toothbrush is better at cleaning teeth and reducing harmful bacteria in the mouth.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Mennatullah Y Abou El Enein; Phone Number: +201111184215; Email: mennatullah.yasser@dentistry.cu.edu.eg

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• ● Children aged 6 to 10 years.

  • Medically free patients with no physical disability.
  • Patients must have proper oral hygiene.
  • Cooperative patients who will comply with follow-ups.
  • Parents who accept to sign informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• ● Children with a medical condition or physical disability,

  • Children undergoing antibiotic treatment
  • Children with crowding, fixed or removable orthodontic appliances.
  • Children with pre-shedding mobile teeth were excluded from study.
  • Children who will be unable to attend follow-up visits.
  • Parents refuse to give written formed consent.
  • Presence of painful teeth.
  • Presence of active carious lesions

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Charcoal-Infused Bristle Toothbrush; Children in this arm will use a soft charcoal-infused bristle toothbrush twice daily for two minutes each time, using a pea-sized amount of fluoride-free toothpaste (Dabur Herb'l, India). Participants will be trained in the horizontal scrub technique and instructed on proper toothbrush storage to minimize bacterial contamination.	Device: soft charcoal infused bristle toothbrush (iLive) with bamboo handle; manual toothbrush with soft charcoal infused bristles designed fordaily oral hygiene measures. Participants will be instructed to brush twice daily for two minutes using herbal toothpaste
Active Comparator: Nylon Bristle Toothbrush; Children in this arm will use a soft nylon bristle toothbrush twice daily for two minutes each time, using a pea-sized amount of fluoride-free toothpaste Participants will be trained in the horizontal scrub technique and instructed on proper toothbrush storage to minimize bacterial contamination.	Device: soft nylon bristle toothbrush (Oral B JUNIOR 6-12); Manual toothbrush with soft nylon bristles designed for daily oral hygiene measures. Participants will be instructed to brush twice daily for two minutes using herbal toothpaste

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in full-mouth plaque score assessed by O'Leary Plaque Control Index from baseline to 2 weeks	Full-mouth plaque score will be measured using the O'Leary Plaque Control Index at four time points: baseline (before training), immediately after training, one week, and two weeks post-training. Each tooth surface (mesial, distal, buccal, and lingual) will be examined. The plaque score will be expressed as the percentage of plaque-containing surfaces relative to the total number of surfaces examined	aseline, immediately after training, 1 week, and 2 weeks post-training

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Cairo University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 27, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 27, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 4, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 27, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: antibacterial; bacterial contamination; randomized clinical trial; plaque removal; gingival crevicular fluid; charcoal toothbrush; nylon toothbrush
• Other Study ID Numbers: CU-PD-RCT-CHARCOAL-2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No