The efficacy of two UV toothbrush sanitization devices. A pilot study.

: The authors conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of two different toothbrush sanitization machines for household use and to determine if one machine's sanitizing power was superior to the other. Bacteria from the same individual were tested for six days using the same brand toothbrush and toothpaste at the same time of day. The toothbrushes were sanitized using the VIOlight and HIGH DENT. In 83% of cases with the VIOlight machine, the amount of bacteria decreased after being sanitized, whereas the HIGH DENT had a 100% decrease in bacteria. Eighty-three percent of brushes sanitized with HIGH DENT resulted in rare or no growth compared to only 33% of those sanitized with VIOlight. While both machines reduced the amount of bacteria present on the toothbrush, the HIGH DENT was 50% more effective than VIOlight in reducing the majority of bacteria on the toothbrush.