Toothbrush wear and plaque removal

Background and Objectives: Dental professionals often recommend changing toothbrushes every three months due to their wear and decreased plaque removal efficacy. This study aimed to assess the correlation of duration of use of a toothbrush and its wear and then the relationship of wear of toothbrush and Plaque Index (PI) of users and tapering of toothbrush filaments after three months of use was evaluated as well. Materials and Methods: In this study, 60 female students were enrolled according to the eligibility criteria and received a new set of toothbrush and toothpaste. They were requested to brush their teeth using the Bass technique twice a day for 2 minutes and the Ramfjord PI was measured at baseline and after 3 months. The wear of 47 toothbrushes after three months of use was evaluated using the Rawls index. Of collected 47 toothbrushes, 30 were randomly chosen and inspected under an electron microscope to determine the degree of tapering of bristles. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 via Spearman’s correlation coefficient, paired t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (alpha=0.05). Results: After 3 months, the mean PI score significantly decreased (paired t-test, P=0.034). The PI at 3 months after use had no significant correlation with the toothbrush wear score (Spearman’s correlation coefficient, P=0.61) but the toothbrush wear score had a significant correlation with tapering of bristles (Spearman’s correlation coefficient, P=0.04). No significant association existed between PI at 3 months after use and tapering of bristles (Pearson’s correlation coefficient, P=0.69). Conclusion: The duration of use and wear of toothbrush alone do not affect the quality of plaque removal. Practicing Oral hygiene can affect the quality of plaque removal.

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Plaque Removal by Young Children Using Old and New Toothbrushes

Journal of Dental Research ◽

10.1177/154405910608501214 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 85 (12) ◽

pp. 1138-1142 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

W.H. van Palenstein Helderman ◽

M.M. Kyaing ◽

M.T. Aung ◽

W. Soe ◽

N.A.M. Rosema ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Confidence Interval ◽

Lower Limit ◽

A Priori ◽

Plaque Score ◽

Plaque Removal ◽

Before And After ◽

The Mean ◽

The Relationship ◽

Toothbrush Wear

There is inconclusive evidence about the relationship between toothbrush wear and plaque removal. This randomized cross-over clinical trial aimed to validate or invalidate non-inferiority in the plaque-removal efficacy of old vs. new toothbrushes in the hands of 7- and 8-year-old children. The lower limit for non-inferiority was set a priori as a difference in plaque score < 15%. Children (n = 101) brushed, in the first session, with either their 14-month-old toothbrush or a new one, and in the second session vice versa. The mean Quigley-Hein plaque score, before and after children brushed with old brushes, was 2.9 and 2.4, and with new brushes 2.8 and 2.1. The plaque score after they brushed with the new toothbrush was 10.9% lower (p < 0.001) than after they brushed with the old toothbrush. The confidence interval of 7.6%–13.9% was within the acceptance band (< 15%), and non-inferiority of old toothbrushes in the hands of these children was validated.

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The effectiveness of waist-shaped and straight-shaped interdental brushes in cleaning implant overdenture attachments: a self-controlled clinical trial

Journal of Oral Implantology ◽

10.1563/aaid-joi-d-19-00149 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Qiuwen Chen ◽

Yanjun Ge ◽

Jinyou Chai ◽

Hailan Feng ◽

Jianzhang Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Oral Hygiene ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

The Other ◽

Controlled Clinical Trial ◽

Cleaning Procedure ◽

Plaque Removal ◽

Line Angle ◽

Implant Overdenture ◽

Interdental Brush

Elderly patients often find it challenging to remove plaque accumulated on the attachments of implant overdentures (IOD) using conventional cleaning instruments. Further, excessive plaque accumulation can lead to peri-implant diseases and occasionally to respiratory diseases. Therefore, here, we aimed to compare the effectiveness of waist-shaped interdental brushes (WIB) with that of straight-shaped ones (SIB) in plaque removal from the locator attachments of IOD. Twenty participants with two locator attachments retaining mandibular IOD participated in this study. After the baseline cleaning, the participants refrained from oral hygiene maintenance for 3 days. A dentist cleaned one of the attachments using the WIB and the other attachment using the SIB. The pre- and post-cleaning modified plaque index (mPLI) scores were recorded. Following another 3 days free from oral hygiene maintenance, the trained participants repeated the same cleaning procedure using the WIB and SIB. Pre- and post-cleaning mPLI scores were recorded. Regardless of the type of brush used, the post-cleaning mPLI scores were lower than the pre-cleaning ones. After the cleaning procedure, the overall mean mPLI score was lower in the WIB group than in the SIB group. The post-cleaning mPLI scores at the line-angles and on the axial surfaces of the attachments were also lower in the WIB group than in the SIB group. There was no difference in the cleaning effectiveness between the dentist and participants when they used the same type of interdental brush. The WIB was significantly more efficient in plaque removal than the SIB, especially at the line-angle sites.

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Bioelectric Effect of a Microcurrent Toothbrush on Plaque Removal

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18168255 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (16) ◽

pp. 8255

Author(s):

Ji-Hyun Lee ◽

Jin-Hee Ha

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Flora ◽

Gingival Index ◽

Direct Electric Current ◽

Plaque Removal ◽

Bioelectric Effect ◽

Biofilm Removal ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Us ◽

Before And After ◽

Previous State

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a microcurrent toothbrush (approved by the US Food and Drug Administration [FDA]), which employs a superimposed alternating and direct electric current, named as a Proxywave® technology, similar to the intensity of the biocurrent, in plaque removal and reducing gingivitis by biofilm removal through the bioelectric effect. This study enrolled 40 volunteers with gingivitis. Dental observations were made every two weeks, before and after the use of each toothbrush. We randomly assigned participants into two groups: one group used the Proxywave® toothbrush (PB) for two weeks followed by the control toothbrush (CB) for two weeks, while the other group used the CB for two weeks followed by the PB. The participants had a two-week washout period. If the toothbrush used earlier has had an effect on the bacterial flora in the oral cavity, this is to remove this effect and return it to its previous state. During each dental visit, we recorded plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI) scores. The PI and GI scores were significantly lower in both the PB and the CB (p < 0.05). Considering the PI, there was no significant difference between the toothbrushes on all the surfaces. Considering the GI, the PB showed a significant decrease in the interproximal surface, compared to the CB (p < 0.05). The PB showed a significant decrease in the interproximal GI and had a beneficial effect in the interproximal area where the bristles could not reach. No adverse events were observed in the participants during the clinical trial. The microcurrent toothbrush is a device that can be safely used for plaque removal.

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The Effects of Toothbrush Wear on the Surface Roughness and Gloss of Resin Composites with Various Types of Matrices

Dentistry Journal ◽

10.3390/dj9010008 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 8

Author(s):

Murtadha AlAli ◽

Nikolaos Silikas ◽

Julian Satterthwaite

Keyword(s):

Surface Roughness ◽

Pairwise Comparisons ◽

Resin Composites ◽

Hybrid Resin ◽

Before And After ◽

Post Hoc ◽

Main Effects ◽

Toothbrush Wear

Objective: To evaluate and compare the surface roughness and gloss of a DMA-free composite and Bis-GMA-free composite with a DMA-based composite before and after toothbrushing simulation. Materials and Methods: Fifteen dimensionally standardised composite specimens of three nano-hybrid resin composites (Tetric EvoCeram, Admira Fusion, and Venus Diamond) were used. Five specimens from each composite were polished and then subjected to a toothbrushing simulator. Surface roughness (Ra) and gloss were measured before toothbrushing and after 5000, 10,000, 15,000, and 20,000 toothbrushing cycles. The data was analysed using 5 × 3 ANOVA to assess surface roughness and gloss values and pairwise comparisons in the form of Tukey post hoc tests were performed to interpret main effects. Results: For all tested materials, surface roughness increased, and gloss decreased after toothbrushing abrasion. Surface roughness (Ra) values ranged from 0.14 to 0.22 μm at baseline and increased to between 0.41 and 0.49 μm after 20,000 toothbrushing cycles. Gloss values ranged between 31.9 and 50.6 GU at baseline and between 5.1 and 19.5 GU after 20,000 toothbrushing cycles. The lowest initial Ra value was detected in Venus Diamond and the highest initial gloss value was detected in Tetric EvoCeram. Conclusions: Simulated toothbrushing abrasion led to an increase in surface roughness and a decrease in gloss for all tested materials. Venus Diamond had the smoothest surface and Tetric EvoCeram had the glossiest surface after polishing and following 20,000 cycles of toothbrushing abrasion. Admira Fusion demonstrated the roughest surface and had the lowest gloss values before and after toothbrushing abrasion.

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Effectiveness and safety of a new dental plaque removal device utilizing micro mist spray for removing oral biofilm in vitro

BMC Oral Health ◽

10.1186/s12903-021-01647-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hiroki Hihara ◽

Ryo Tagaino ◽

Jumpei Washio ◽

Kittipong Laosuwan ◽

Dimas Prasetianto Wicaksono ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surface Roughness ◽

Mucous Membrane ◽

Oral Mucosa ◽

Dental Plaque ◽

Tooth Surface ◽

Oral Biofilm ◽

Plaque Removal ◽

Treated Area ◽

Biofilm Removal ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Background Removal of oral biofilm from the oral mucosa is essential for preventing risk of respiratory and gastrointestinal infection in elderly people. Currently, no device is available which can remove oral biofilm from oral mucosa effectively and safely. Therefore, the effectiveness and safety of the Micro Scale Mist UNIT (MSM-UNIT), a newly developed dental plaque removal device utilizing high speed sprays of fine water droplets, were evaluated for biofilm removal, including the rate and surface roughness for simulated tooth surface and mucous membrane. Methods Simulated tooth and oral mucosa coated with an artificial biofilm of Streptococcus mutans were used for evaluation of effectiveness, with uncoated substrates as the controls. The MSM-UNIT and a conventional air ablation device were operated under recommended instructions. The effectiveness was evaluated from the rate of removal of the biofilm, and the safety was evaluated from the damage observed by scanning electron microscope and surface roughness. Results The biofilm removal rate of the MSM-UNIT was significantly higher than that of AIRFLOW. Little damage was observed in the area treated by the MSM-UNIT. The surface roughness of the MSM-UNIT treated area on simulated tooth surface and oral mucosa showed no significant difference to the control area. In contrast, cracks and powder were observed in the area treated by AIRFLOW. In particular, the surface roughness of the AIRFLOW treated area for Toughsilon was significantly larger than that of the control. Conclusions The MSM-UNIT could be used safely and effectively for removing biofilm not only on simulated tooth surfaces but also simulated mucous membrane. The MSM-UNIT has no harmful effect on teeth or oral mucosa, and may be used for comprehensive oral care for patients during nursing care and the perioperative period.

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The Measurement of Toothbrush Wear

Journal of Dental Research ◽

10.1177/00220345890680121201 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 68 (12) ◽

pp. 1781-1785 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

H.R. Rawls ◽

N.J. Mkwayi-Tulloch ◽

R. Casella ◽

R. Cosgrove

Keyword(s):

Quality Control ◽

Quantitative Measure ◽

Average Increase ◽

Design Features ◽

Individual User ◽

Design Time ◽

Different Dimensions ◽

The Individual ◽

Toothbrush Wear ◽

Wear Index

Toothbrushes wear out and progressively lose their ability to clean as the bristles abrade and become curled and matted. To study the factors that influence this process, we developed a quantitative measure of bristle splaying (wear index) and a method for judging and ranking the overall state of brush deterioration (wear rating) and used these to determine the effects of the individual user, brush design, time in use, and bristle material. Wear index is the average increase in brush-head dimensions normalized for maximum bristle length, and is dimensionless. Wear rating is a subjective means of classifying the increasing severity of deterioration on a scale of 0 to 3. The wear characteristics of a variety of commercial and experimental brushes with different design features were determined. Test variables were time in use, brush design (e.g., geometry and size of the brush head), and bristle composition. Time of use, the individual user, and bristle composition were found to have the strongest influences on splaying, and brush design was found to have the least influence. The wear index offers a quantitative means of comparing brushes of different dimensions at various stages of splaying. The wear rating, although qualitative, is a quick means of ranking brushes in various stages of deterioration. The two methods correlate (R2 = 0.87), and both are sensitive to several factors that affect brush durability. Therefore, these methods appear to be suitable not only for research, but also for quality control, the setting of standards, and for substantiation of advertising claims.

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