Analysis of a New Toothbrushing Technique through Plaque Removal Success

Background/Aims: Determining the levels of oral health and the quality of dental care are fundamental to building concepts of oral health. This study aims to assess toothbrushing techniques using a technical and physical model, clarifying how children and pre-adults learn to brush their teeth. Materials and Methods: Data were recorded from 23 participants, both male and female of various ages, using a proposed electronic toothbrush equipped with X-Y-Z axes pathways. The data, collected before and after training experiments, were processed with MATLAB to generate plots for the three axes. Results: The study revealed that most parameter values, such as Mean Difference Between Amplitudes (MAV, 6.00), Wilson Amplitude (WAMP, 179.419), and Average Amplitude Coupling (AAC, 1.270), decreased from before to after the experiments. Furthermore, the average overall epoch lengths (AVG) showed a 75% reduction in movement amplitude between the two experiments. Conclusion: Dentist observations indicated which brushing methods were acceptable or not. Analytical values suggest that individuals learn the toothbrushing technique effectively, and medical observations clearly demonstrate the success of the proposed method.

Effects of Adjunctive Daily Blue Light Toothbrushing on Dental Plaque and Gingival Inflammation—A Randomized Controlled Study

Phototherapy with blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) is gaining interest because of the efficient antimicrobial benefits reported in several studies in the last decade. The aim in this study was to investigate if a toothbrush with incorporated blue light used in daily oral care can reduce dental plaque and gingival inflammation. An 8-week single-blinded randomized controlled clinical study including 48 subjects compared effects of toothbrushes with/without 450 nm blue LED light emission, on clinical parameters (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing), and on inflammatory markers in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid. Significant reductions in dental plaque and gingival inflammation (p < 0.001), and in some inflammatory markers (p ≤ 0.05), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase inhibitor (TIMP)-1, interleukin (IL)-1β and interleukin (IL)-8, were detected within both groups from baseline to follow-up. For all subjects dental plaque was reduced with 57%, and a reduction in gingival inflammation was demonstrated by a decrease in gingival index (GI) with 46% and in bleeding on probing (BOP) with a decrease of 15%. No significant differences were found between the groups at a level of p = 0.05. However, the amount of plaque was reduced by 62% in the blue light group and 51% in the control group, a difference established at a level of p = 0.058. A toothbrush with a 450 nm LED did not show any statistical significant adjunctive effect of toothbrushing regarding reduction in measurements of dental plaque and gingival inflammation.

Do Dental Self-Care Habits Correlate with Oral Health？

Research evidence substantiating benefits of dental self-care habits is surprisingly limited. This study evaluated associations between dental self-care behaviors and oral health, specifically toothbrushing, flossing, rinsing, chewing xylitol gum, and diet. Soldiers recently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan had dental examinations and answered questionnaires on dental self-care habits. The DoD Oral Health and Readiness Classification System was used to categorize oral health （see manuscript for definitions）. Correlations were assessed between self-care habits and dental classification. Of 266 soldiers, 43 （16%） were Class 1 （excellent）, 191 （72%） Class 2 （acceptable）, 18 （7%） Class 3 （poor）, and 14 （5%） Class 4 （unknown）. Only 63% of soldiers brushed twice or more per day and only half flossed once or more per day. Dental classification improved with toothbrushing （P = 0.05） and adherence to a Mediterranean diet （P = 0.04）. Flossing trended toward correlation （P = 0.11）. Dental classification did not correlate with mouth rinse or xylitol chewing gum. These research findings help fill an evidence gap that toothbrushing and flossing in addition to a healthful eating pattem are associated with improved oral health.

Perforation of the duodenum by an ingested toothbrush

We report a rare case of duodenal perforation caused by an ingested 12-cm long toothbrush handle. A 22-year-old female presented with intermittent epigas- tric pain for 6 d after swallowing a broken toothbrush. The swallowed toothbrush could not be removed from the second portion of the duodenum by endoscopy. Laparotomy revealed a perforation in the anterior wall of the duodenal bulb. The toothbrush was removed via the perforation which was debrided and closed. There were no postoperative complications.

Study of the effects of natural toothbrush (<i>Salva-dora persica</i>) in prevention of dental caries and plaque index

Background: Nowadays, though more attention is being paid to oral and dental hygiene all over the world, dental caries and periodontal diseases are increasing daily. We decided to study the effectiveness of natural toothbrush in prevention of dental caries and plaque formation. Methods: This analytic, semi-experimental clinical trial included 390 individuals. Subjects were divided into 3 groups: using natural toothbrush, using artificial toothbrush and using both natural and artificial toothbrush. The plaque index and DMFT was assessed at the beginning of the study until 1 year. ANOVA, Kruskal Wallis, LSD, Paired t-test, chi square, Fisher exact and Mc-Nemar tests were used for data analysis. Results: The plaque index in all three groups showed a mean reduction of 0.71. The mean DMFT in the samples before intervention was 8.38 ± 4.14 and increased to 9.1 ± 4.56. At the end of the study, the lowest plaque index was observed in the group using both the natural and artificial methods. During one year follow-up, the plaque index decreased 1.16, 0.83, and 0.21 degrees in the first, second and third groups. Conclusion: The increase in DMFT in the group that used artificial toothbrush was more than other groups. Thus, use of natural toothbrush leads to a decrease in growth rate of DMFT. Therefore natural toothbrush can be used for the cleaning of teeth and prevention of dental caries.

A case of colohepatic penetration by a swallowed toothbrush

Although foreign body ingestion is relatively common,toothbrush swallowing is rare. We report a case of a swallowed toothbrush which passed through the ileocecal valve and perforated the proximal transverse colon,then the liver. To our knowledge, this is the first case to be reported,

Efficacy of Miswak (salvadora persica) in preventing dental caries

The rate of dental caries and periodontal diseases in the world is still high, regardless of progress in the oral and dental hygiene. The natural toothbrush or chewing stick called “Mis- wak” has been used since ancient history. In this research the efficacy of Miswak in preventing dental caries was investigated and compared with the efficacy of toothbrush and tooth- paste. The analytical and clinical trial method was applied for this research among high sch- ool’s students in the city of Yazd, Iran, 2006. Three hundred eighty second year’s students (190 cases and 190 controls) were examined dentally. Then the Miswak was distributed to the case group and required trainings were given to both groups. After one year, the examinations were repeated. For analyzing the data one-way variance analysis test, Kai square, Paired t-test and two variable analyses were used. In the beginning of this study, there were no significant differences between two groups (cases and controls) regarding their dental situation and the frequency of brushing their teeth (p-value = 0.162). In addition, there were no significant differences in DMFT between the two groups. The data collected at the end of the study showed a significant increase in DMFT in the control group (p-value = 0.000). There was 55% increase in the rate of dental caries in control group compared to case group (0.89 before the study and 1.38 after the study). The risk of dental caries for each tooth in control group was 9.35 times more than case group (9.14% and 0.98% respectively). Dental caries rate was detected slightly less in the case group at the end of this study. This might be as a result of the antimicrobial effects of Miswak. A longer study with more cases is needed to prove this suggestion.

CAS Botanist's Adventures in African Jungles

When Professor WANG Qingfeng,a Chinese botanist,visited Kenya for the first time 17 years ago,he was amazed to find the secret of some Kenyans'snow-white teeth:they use branches of "toothbrush trees"to brush their teeth,instead of a toothbrush and toothpaste.

Dental erosion and severe tooth decay related to soft drinks:a case report and literature review

Soft drinks have many potential health problems.The inherent acids and sugars have both acidogenic and cariogenic potential,resulting in dental caries and potential enamel erosion.In this report we present a 25-year-old man complaining with the severe worn-out of the front teeth during the past 3 years.He had a history of drinking cola for more than 7 years and had a poor oral hygiene.Severe decays were present in the incisors and the canines,while less severe lesions were noted on the premolars and the molars.The review is to show the relationship between dental erosion and caries and soft drinks.Some efforts have been taken to reduce the harmful effect of soft drinks.

TEETHING TROUBLE

Ivory skin, shapely eyebrows, and a full figure: many of ancient China's well-known beauty standards were based on looks that were hard to maintain in times of hardship and poverty Likewise, a full, healthy set of teeth was a rare achievement in the days before electric toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss.

Study Shows Oscillating Power Toothbrushes Superior

选注者言:标题出现的Power Toothbrushes就是“动力牙刷”的意思,前面还有Oscillating,其含义是“振动的”。因此,标题可直译:研究表明动力振动牙刷具有优越性。读完全文,我们才明白,Oscillating Power Toothbrushes的全称应该是:rotational oscillation toothbrushes(旋转振动牙刷)。因为有了电动的旋转振动牙刷,我们现在使用的牙刷也就获得了一个新名:manual toothbrushes(手动牙刷)。语言就是这么随科技的发展而发展的。商界朋友读了此文,是否觉得本文藏匿着良好商机?