Purpose of this study was to know the effect of natural and synthetic bristle toothbrushes on plaque removal.
Two kinds of natural toothbrushes (animal bristle and pig bristle) and two kinds of synthetic toothbrushes (nylon bristle and rubber) were evaluated using Scrub brushing method. Twelve adults, 6 patients and 6 dentists, 6 males and 6 females, aged 19 to 42, volunteered for this study.
Plaque score was calculated with the modified Volpe's method which Suzuki et al. reported before. Facial and lingual tooth surfaces of the six representative teeth (6/41|14/6) were scored, after disclosing the plaque with a 0.5% basic fuchsin.
The average percentage of plaque removal on facial and lingual tooth surfaces were as follows.
(1) 59.6±16.1% (nylon bristle) (2) 42.3±13.2% (pig bristle)
(3) 39.8±14.7% (rubber) (4) 39.5±13.3% (animal bristle)
There was a statistically significance at the 5 percent level of confidence between nylon bristle brush and the other three brushes.
A similar trend was recognized on labial, lingual, medial and papillary tooth surfaces independently.
The scores after brushing were evaluated, also.
(The materials of animal bristles are of horse and badger hair.)
