A Basic Study on the Establishment of a Toothbrush Selection Program for Special Needs Patients, First Report : Cleaning Ability and Conformity of Toothbrush Bristles
2020 Volume 41 Issue 2 Pages 72-81
Details
2020 Volume 41 Issue 2 Pages 72-81
It is important to select appropriate toothbrushes for special needs patients. However, there is no objective functional index for toothbrush selection.
In this study, we created a new method for in vitro functional evaluation of toothbrushes with a new model (SHC model). The SHC model consists of a semi-circular rod with a diameter of 8.0mm fixed to a flat plate. This method is simple to reproduce, and is easy and useful for evaluating the function of a toothbrush. We used three kinds of toothbrush：type I：three rows of bristles and a flat profile, type II：four rows of super-tapered bristles, and type III：four rows of bristle and multi-tufts.
According to our research, the conformity was highest in the following order：type II, type III, and type I. The cleaning performance of type III was higher than that of type II. For Type I, it is difficult for those with physical disability to clean the areas that require conformity. Type II requires a long tooth-brushing time because of the poor cleaning performance. Type III needs a shorter tooth-brushing time than type I and type II.
The evaluation combining the results of the conforming and cleaning performance using the SHC model could identify the differences in toothbrushes. It is suggested that our method might serve as a useful functional index when selecting a toothbrush for special needs patients.
