In Vitro Assessment of Different Toothbrush Designs on Enamel Surface Abrasion: A Profilometric Study.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of three different toothbrush designs on enamel surface abrasion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty intact freshly extracted maxillary central incisors were considered for the study. All of the extracted teeth's surfaces were severely trimmed, leaving only the labial surface intact. In the trial, a conventional teeth-whitening dentifrice slurry was utilized. A brushing model was created to deliver uniform force in unidirectional motion. Dontrix Gauge was used to control the tension of the spring. The force was kept constant at 180 ± 20 g. The mounted enamel samples were separated into three groups (20 samples each) at random: group A: toothbrushes have a flat trim bristle design, group B: toothbrushes have a zigzag pattern, and group C: toothbrushes have a bi-level bristle design. For 2 weeks, each sample was brushed twice daily for 2 minutes. A profilometer was used to measure the average surface roughness.

RESULTS: After toothbrushing, the maximum mean surface roughness score was found in zigzag pattern group (2.10 ± 0.23), followed by bi-level bristle design group (2.06 ± 0.12) and the least was in the flat trim bristle design group (1.96 ± 0.09). There was a significant difference between the different toothbrush bristle pattern groups ( p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: On conclusion, the results of this study showed that, in comparison to toothbrushes with zigzag patterns and bi-level bristle designs, flat trim toothbrush bristle designs cause the least amount of surface abrasion and are relatively safe to use.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Toothbrushing with toothpaste contributes significantly to dental abrasion. A variety of parameters, including toothpaste abrasivity and concentration, brushing frequency, brushing length, brushing force, and toothbrush bristle stiffness, have the potential to influence the abrasion process of dental hard tissue.