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PubMed1989

Toothbrush bristle density: relationship to plaque removal.

A double-blind, parallel, controlled study was conducted to determine the effect of toothbrush bristle density (total number of bristles divided by the brush head area) in removing plaque from tooth surfaces. Ninety subjects (29 males, 61 females), aged 18-65, were randomly assigned to one of three groups using the Sensodyne Search 4-Rowa toothbrush modified to have the following bristle densities: A (4.5 bristles per mm2); B (8.3 bristles per mm2); or C (11.8 bristles per mm2). The average trim height of the bristles was 10.77 mm. Subjects brushed without any dentifrice once a day for 7 days in order for adherent deposits (salivary pellicle and plaque remnants) to accumulate on their teeth. On the eight day, examinations for stained deposits were performed according to the Global Scoring Index before and after one minute of brushing with a commercially available toothpaste. Percent reductions in deposits were highly significant for the eighty-seven subjects who completed the study. A paired t-test between the pre- and post-treatment scores (p = 0.005) demonstrated the following: Toothbrushes A, B and C had reductions in plaque of 45.5%, 51.9% and 56.8%, respectively. On an overall basis, the intergroup percent reductions were significantly different using ANOVA (p = 0.001), and demonstrated a relationship in terms of data clustering for percent plaque removal of toothbrushes with varied bristle densities.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of instruction and supervised toothbrushing on the reduction of dental plaque in kindergarten children.

Based upon the present study the following conclusions were reached: Supervised toothbrushing with instruction for preschool children significantly and consistently decreased dental plaque scores, when compared to the control group of the same children who had only supervision. While those subjects receiving toothbrushing instructions and supervision had significant plaque reductions, at no time did the plaque scores reach zero. A symmetrical but nonuniform distribution of dental plaque prior to toothbrushing was noted as follows: Posterior teeth had higher dental plaque scores than anterior teeth. More dental plaque was present on the buccal surfaces of the maxillary teeth than on the lingual surfaces. More dental plaque was present on the lingual surfaces of the mandibular teeth than on the buccal surfaces. The distribution of dental plaque following toothbrushing remained the same as the prebrushing pattern, but the amount of dental plaque was reduced by 31 percent. Constant reinforcement is necessary to maintain effective plaque control in pre-school children.

Child Behavior↗

PubMed1991

The swallowed toothbrush: a radiographic clue of bulimia.

Swallowed toothbrushes were noted in the esophagus of one teenager and the stomach of two others with bulimia. The presence of a toothbrush in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract should make the radiologist suspicious of bulimia/anorexia nervosa. A toothbrush shows a characteristic radiographic image with parallel rows of short metallic radiodensities due to the metallic plates that hold the bristles in place.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Comparison of manual and power toothbrushing, with and without adjunctive oral irrigation, for controlling plaque and gingivitis.

We compared the effects of four oral hygiene methods (manual tooth-brushing, power toothbrushing, manual toothbrushing plus irrigation, and power toothbrushing plus irrigation) on plaque and periodontal disease. These methods were tested both when used alone and when used in conjunction with professional mechanical oral hygiene. 108 subjects were clinically assessed for plaque, stain, gingival inflammation, bleeding to probing, probing depth and attachment loss, and randomly assigned to one of the 4 oral hygiene groups. Subjects were carefully instructed in the use of their assigned method and asked to discontinue all other forms of oral hygiene. After 3-months, subjects returned for re-examination and full-month professional mechanical oral hygiene care. 3 months later, subjects returned for a final oral examination. All subjects kept a diary of use of their assigned method and were called every 2 weeks to monitor discomfort, provide reinforcement and answer questions. Results showed that all the oral hygiene methods were equally effective in reducing plaque and stain accumulation, gingival bleeding, bleeding to probing ratio and the % of pockets 4 mm or deeper. None of the oral hygiene methods was associated with injury to soft or hard tissues.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

Self-esteem as a predictor of toothbrushing behaviour in young adolescents.

A survey of 4075 14-year-old children from secondary schools throughout England was made to obtain information about toothbrushing frequency, motivation for mouth care, and self-esteem. Subjects completed a questionnaire, anonymously, in class. Toothbrushing frequency was found to increase significantly with increasing self-esteem in males (P less than 0.0001) and females (P less than 0.05). However, there was no consistent variation with self-esteem in those brushing 3 or more times per day, in either sex. There was a significant variation in the main reason given for mouth care between the sexes (P less than 0.0001); proportionately more females (67%) than males (57%) gave cleanliness or cosmetic effect as the principal reason for mouth care. A variation was observed in the mean reason given for mouth care with self-esteem in females (P less than 0.05), but not in males. However, in both sexes, as self-esteem improved, there was a consistent increase in the proportions of individuals who brushed their teeth to make them feel clean. These findings suggest there may be a positive relationship between self-esteem and toothbrushing behaviour and motivation for mouth care in adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

Effect of mouth rinsing and toothbrushing with fluoride solutions on caries among Norwegian schoolchildren.

The caries experience and the plaque and gingival conditions of 14-year-old children participating in fortnightly fluoride (0.2 % NaF) mouth rinsing (88 subjects) were compared with observations in children performing supervised toothbrushing with a fluoride (0.5 % NaF) solution 4-5 times per year (n = 90). Most of the children, 84 and 90% respectively, had participated in these programs for the previous 6 years. Caries was assessed only on radiographs. The mean number of decayed surfaces was 5.8 (s.d. = 4.1, n = 88) and 5.4 (s.d. = 4.1, n = 90). The mean numbers of decayed and filled surfaces were 19.3 +/- 9.2 and 27.9 +/- 10.2 for subjects with rinsing or brushing. This significant difference could not be ascribed to sex, social class, years of residence in the towns, number of dentists performing the previous treatments, toothbrushing habits, use of fluorides at home, or amount of plaque. All children had gingivitis. There were no differences in the mean number of Plaque Index score 2 or the number of Gingival Index score 2 between the children with the different preventive programs. The girls' oral hygiene was better than the boys', but the gingival conditions were the same. Sex, social class, and toothbrushing techniques tended to have a slight influence on the amount of plaque.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1978

Influence of social norms on toothbrushing behavior of preschool children.

Two hundred and eighty mothers of preschool children were interviewed in order to determine first, their children's toothbrushing habits and secondly, their expectations concerning the brushing behavior of preschool children in general. The influence of social and demographic factors on children's brushing behavior was also investigated. The results showed that the practice of toothbrushing is widespread and mothers play the central role in teaching the brushing routine. However, the social norms concerning oral hygiene were imprecise, indicating that mothers had no social support for teaching their children to brush and no information on how brushing should be carried out. Dental health educators should encourage mothers of young children to develop positive attitudes towards toothbrushing and teach them the correct technique.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1990

Using a "lifestyle" perspective to understand toothbrushing behaviour in Scottish schoolchildren.

Using data from a wider survey of health related behaviour in 4,935 Lothian schoolchildren, 11, 13, and 15 yr old, this paper analysed toothbrushing frequency and its relation to "lifestyle" factors. Analysis of the results showed that girls brush more frequently than boys and that children with higher social class background brushed more frequently than children with low social class background. Further toothbrushing frequency was significantly related to the subjects' health perception, smoking and drinking habits, eating habits, bedtimes, and video-watching. Moreover, all these lifestyle factors were inter-related. The paper reinforced the concept of lifestyle as a meaningful descriptive term. The results demonstrated that the bivariate associations are pieces in a more complex mosaic. Toothbrushing thus seems to be an integrated part of a child's lifestyle and should be regarded as such in future health promotion efforts.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Choice of toothbrush: a survey of dentists' personal preferences and recommendations for patients.

Data on dentists' choice of toothbrush brand/type for personal use and their recommendations for patients were obtained by means of a questionnaire. Seventy-nine per cent of dentists surveyed received free samples, with Oral-B comprising 33 per cent of all such samples, followed by Colgate (16 per cent) and Tek (13 per cent). Fifty-three per cent of dentists surveyed indicated they used all free samples received. Sixty-two per cent of dentists do not consider that different brushes differ significantly in their plaque-removing ability. Therefore, while an effective toothbrushing technique is important, selection of the 'correct toothbrush' from the wide range available may not be critical. The results of the present investigation provide information that is relevant to dental health education and can be applied at the chairside as well as at the broader community level.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

An epidemiological study of the influence of sweets intake and toothbrushing on dental caries among children in Japan.

The study was designed to determine the influence of confectionery and beverages intake and of toothbrushing on infant dental caries. The participants were 700 three year old Japanese children from an urban area near Tokyo. The prevalence of caries in those who frequently consumed confectionery and beverages was higher than the prevalence in those who did not take them. However, the prevalence in children with a habit of toothbrushing did not differ from that of those without the habit. This study shows that restricting consumption of confectionery and beverages may be effective in preventing dental caries; however, encouragement of toothbrushing may not be effective in limiting dental caries progression.

Beverages↗

PubMed1979

Damaging effects of toothbrush bristle end form on gingiva.

The ability of two different toothbrush bristle ends to produce traumatic gingival abrasion was assessed in a double blind study of 15 male and 15 female young adults. Brushing was performed in a circular fashion using a modified Bass Technique. An apparatus allowing continuous visual feedback of the average brushing force permitted a degree of standardization of the system. The upper left canine and bicuspid area had to be brushed for 30 seconds with cut toothbrush bristles (CP) and with round ended toothbrush bristles (RP) respectively. A two week interval separated the two brushing sessions. Traumatic lesions of the attached gingiva were stained with a disclosing solution, photographed and evaluated planimetrically. The "cut bristles" caused gingival abrasions 30% greater in extent than the round end bristles. The difference was not due to single brushing strokes accidentally greater for the "cut bristles". The size of the lesions was not sex dependent. To prevent gingival damage it is desirable to either round the bristles in production or to rid the bristle ends at least of sharp edges.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Condition of toothbrushes in use: correlation with behavioral and socio-economic factors.

Toothbrushes and questionnaires from 94 adult dentate individuals were analyzed. More than 97% of respondents said they brushed their teeth at least once a day, while 48% used more than one toothbrush (such as one at home and another at work). Only 47% said they preferred a soft nylon bristle, while 41% preferred medium and 10% a hard nylon bristle. More than 73% of subjects said they used their brushes for 3 months or longer. Examination of collected brushes by both objective and subjective criteria revealed a wide variation in wear; however, the majority of brushes did not appear to be 'worn-out'. No significant correlation was found between objective wear-index and the educational level of the user, annual household income of the user, or reported time in use of the brush. A significant (p less than 0.01) correlation was found between brush wear-index and the ability of the user to judge toothbrush wear.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

A comparative study of plaque removing efficiency using rotary electric and manual toothbrushes.

Plaque removing efficiency was compared between rotary electric and manual toothbrushes. The first part of the study included 19 dental hygiene students randomly assigned to a "rotary" or a "manual" brushing group. The subjects were instructed to brush their teeth three minutes twice a day for three weeks either with rotary electric or with manual brushes. Then for another period of three weeks brushing techniques were reversed. The results showed that the median plaque index for all sites and for buccal and lingual sites was significantly lower in the rotary brushing group (28% vs 39% and 3% vs 6%, p less than 0.05). During the second part of the study 10 of the students refrained from all oral hygiene procedures for four weeks in the anterior mandibular region, i.e. from 33 to 43. They were then randomly assigned to a "rotary" or a "manual" brushing group. Registrations of accumulated plaque were made from photographs at baseline and after 15, 30 and 60 seconds of brushing. ANOVA analysis of the plaque scores showed a significant difference in reduction of plaque in favour of the rotary electric brush (p less than 0.01). The results suggest that the rotary electric toothbrush removes plaque more efficiently than the conventional manual toothbrush.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The effect of toothbrushing on approximal dental surfaces].

Altogether 52 teeth (20 anteriors, 13 premolars and 19 molars) scheduled for extraction were used for study. Before extraction the teeth were brushed with a medium textured toothbrush applying the modified Bass method with five strokes of proximal cleaning. The lack of professional and proximal cleaning aids makes planimetrically. The following conclusions were drawn: 1. The usual five strokes with a toothbrush are not able to remove old plaque, therefore professional tooth cleaning is necessary. 2. After toothbrushing twice as much plaque remains on the proximal than on the buccal and lingual surfaces. This implies the necessity of proximal cleaning. The lack of professional and proximal cleaning aids makes the establishment of good oral hygiene illusorical.

Dental Caries↗

PubMed1991

[Denta-Solar--comparison with a traditional toothbrush].

This paper reports on the clinical efficacy of a toothbrush (Denta-Solar) with an integrated TiO2 semiconductor element as compared to a conventional toothbrush. A significant reduction in the papilla bleeding index and the plaque indices was recorded in subjects using the Denta-Solar brush; the tartar situation near the gingivae was seen to deteriorate in those using conventional toothbrushes. This supports the assumption that the plaque reduction is due to the special construction features of the Denta-Solar.

Humans↗

PubMed1990

Learning efficiency of a toothbrush for mastering scrubbing method.

Toothbrushing with long horizontal strokes often causes traumatization of sound enamel and gingival tissues. Also, dental plaque on cervical and adjacent surfaces of teeth can hardly be removed because toothbrush tips cannot reach these regions adequately. A toothbrushing device which indicates overstroke was tested to determine the efficacy with which it makes subjects master brushing with short horizontal strokes following an initial period of instruction. The degree of learning measured in the testing group was superior to that of the control group immediately after the first instruction. Moreover after one week and 12 weeks, its efficacy persisted. The plaque elimination ratio, however, showed no significant difference between the testing group and the control.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The effect of toothbrushes on human dental enamel and dentin wear].

The authors compare the effects of natural (porcine) and synthetic (Toinex, USA, and Eschalon, France) bristle and rough toothbrushes on the tooth enamel and dentin in the course of toothbrushing. No abrasive effects were detected when brushing normal teeth in clear water. The rate of enamel and dentin abrasion in tooth powder or tooth paste suspension depended on the shape of bristle cut and particularly on the toothbrush roughness.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

[Bristle end rounding and anchoring in children's toothbrushes].

This scanning electron microscopic study of eight toothbrushes for children has shown differences in quality and quantity of the rounding of bristle ends. While four products which were examined for the first time were partially deficient, the preparation of the other toothbrushes had clearly improved in comparison to previous products. Quotas of acceptable end rounding of the bristles varied considerably between 14.3% and 90.2%. Welding of bristle bundles at their base into the head of the toothbrush offers hygienic advantages.

Child↗