Silicone toothbrushes: A scoping review of an underutilized tool in global oral health

Abstract

Oral diseases are the most prevalent non-communicable diseases worldwide, affecting 3.5 billion people, with a disproportionate impact on those living in low- and middle-income countries. Despite being largely preventable through proper oral hygiene, current oral health promotion strategies rely heavily on plastic and nylon toothbrushes, which present both environmental and accessibility challenges. In response to the growing need for sustainable and affordable preventive oral health solutions, there has been increasing interest in alternatives to conventional toothbrushes. This scoping review aimed to summarize the global literature on silicone toothbrushes, an underutilized tool in preventive oral care. A systematic search of five databases, supplemented by reference screening, identified ten English-language studies investigating silicone toothbrushes. Findings suggest that silicone toothbrushes are effective in plaque removal, have a lower risk of gingival trauma, are well-suited for specific populations, and perform better in environmental impact assessments. This review also demonstrated that silicone toothbrushes remain under-researched and underutilized, highlighting the need for further high-quality studies to evaluate their effectiveness, safety, and broader implementation.