Toothbrush Changes by Charcoal Dentifrice After 6 Months Simulated Brushing

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of a charcoal and a conventional dentifrice on toothbrush bristle roughness after 6 months simulated brushing. The null hypothesis was that bristle wear would not be different between the groups.
Methods: This work was part of a dentifrice wear study involving Class V preparations on 60 teeth restored with Adhese Universal/Tetric Evo Ceram (Ivoclar Vivadent) with photopolymerization by a LED-VLC unit (Valo, Ultradent) with all manufacturer instructions followed. Selective bristles on 48 toothbrushes (Indicator, Oral B) were scanned at 10X with a laser scanning microscope (VK-250, Keyence) and bristle cluster roughness determined. Toothbrushes were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=16) and then used in wear analysis using Hello charcoal and Crest Oral Health conventional dentifrices, with DI water as control.
Toothbrush simulation (MEV4T-10XY, Odeme) with 1g dentifrice/1ml water slurry with 200 g-force toothbrush pressure with 120 cycles/min simulated brushing for 5000 cycles (6 month equivalent). Specimens were rinsed, ultrasonically cleansed, and then repeat laser scanning. Mean toothbrush bristle roughness were compared as identified in the Results Table. Statistical methods are identified with the Table.
Results: Results are identified in the Table. No significant pre/post bristle roughness difference noted within the Control (p=0.1995) or charcoal group (p=0.8191), but Crest Group demonstrated significantly greater roughness (p=0.0125).
Conclusions: Under this study’s conditions, greater toothbrush bristle wear with the chosen tootbrush occurred with Crest dentifrice but not with a charcoal-based dentifrice nor DI water.