2021 Volume 42 Issue 3 Pages 235-242
It is important for special needs patients to select an appropriate toothbrush. In this study, we focused on the influence of toothbrush size, and evaluated the functionality of four kinds of toothbrush using the single half-cylinder model (SHC model) which was created for in vitro functional evaluation of toothbrushes.
Three of them were super tapered bristles with different head size, while the other had rounded bristles with a flat profile. We shot videos while the toothbrush was brushing the surface of the model, and measured the motion by an inertial sensor and evaluated the amplitude of motion.
It is suggested that super tapered bristles with a large toothbrush provides higher cleaning performance than rounded bristles or super tapered bristles with a compact head for special needs patients who are not good at controlling the brushing force.
