Objectives: To evaluate wear patterns of toothbrushes in a Chinese adult population after 5-weeks use.
Methods: One hundred and twenty seven toothbrushes were retrieved from a clinical trial conducted for other purposes. Crest®35 gum care brush was chosen, with flat trimmed soft bristle. At study start, subjects were dispensed new brushes and instructed to brush their teeth for one timed minute, twice daily for a duration of 5 weeks. After study completion, photographs were taken of each brush head sorted in random order. Two observers used Wear Rating index (WR, 0=None, 1=wear, 2=Medium, and 3=High) to independently rank brush wear according to overall state of deterioration observed.
Results: Mean WR score in total 127 brushes was 1.87 ± 0.89 representing nearly a 50% increase in wear after 5 weeks use. Significant difference was observed between male and female groups in 31-40 aged population (P=0.02). However, there was no difference between the whole male and female group (P=0.36). Only 3.1% brushes were scored as 0 for the level of wear compared to 38.6% (N=49) brushes were scored the highest WR score of 3. A positive linear correlation was found between brush wear and age in male population (P=0.04).
Conclusion: After only 5 weeks, the overall level of brush wear was moderate in this Chinese population. A bigger sample study is suggested to further detect the potential influence factors on brush wear and influence on oral hygiene status. This information may prove useful in providing proper tooth brushing instruction for Chinese population.