1993 Volume 43 Issue 3 Pages 352-356
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect on absorbing brushing force of a FN toothbrush designed by the authors. Forty seven volunteers, male and female, from 22 years to 44 years of age, participated in the experiment. Each volunteer brushed his or her four buccal surfaces of the posterior teeth by the scrub method with four different toothbrushes of various neck flexibilities. Brushing force was measured by recording the strain of the neck surface with a strain gage during brushing and the strain was expressed as brushing force. The results were as follows:
1) The brushing force using the FN toothbrush with the largest neck flexibility in the tested toothbrushes was absorbed significantly more than in other toothbrushes (p<0.01).
2) Based on brushing force data described in 1), the percentages of absorbing brushing force over the brushing force of B toothbrush with the least neck flexibility, were calculated. The effect on absorbing brushing force was 11.1 % for the FN toothbrush, 3.7% for the W toothbrush and -2.8% for the R toothbrush.
3) Subjects were divided into three groups depending on the brushing force level using the B toothbrush. The percentage of absorbed brushing force of the FN toothbrush was 8.9 % in the low group, 7.8% in the proper group and 15.1% in the high group which needed to reduce brushing force.
