A clinical comparison of the effect on the gingiva of the Prophy-Jet and the rubber cup and paste techniques.

This clinical trial compared the effect on the gingiva of the Prophy-Jet and the rubber cup and paste techniques of stain and supragingival plaque removal. Twenty-one human subjects with healthy gingiva or slight gingivitis participated. A split mouth design was used. The Prophy-Jet caused a statistically significant increase (P less than 0.05) in gingival irritation immediately posttreatment, but the differences were not deemed clinically significant. There were no statistically significant (P less than 0.05) or clinically significant differences in the effect on the gingiva between the two techniques at 7 and 21 days posttreatment. There was no lasting difference in gingival trauma between the two methods of stain and supragingival plaque removal in subjects with healthy gingiva or slight gingivitis.