Effect of brushing force on the abrasive dentin wear using slurries with different abrasivity values

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the resulting abrasive dentin wear using abrasive slurries with different RDA values and applying increasing brushing forces. METHODS Fortyfive bovine incisors were randomly allocated in three groups (A, B, C, n = 15). One hundred and eighty dentin samples were prepared from these incisors and allocated to twelve groups (A1-A4, B1-B4, C1-C4; n = 15). The groups were subjected to a brushing cycle (120 strokes/min, 25 min) as follows: groups A1 to A4 with an abrasive slurry (RDA = 71) applying increasing brushing forces (1, 2, 3 and 4 N). Groups B1 to B4 were brushed using an abrasive slurry (RDA = 85) and C1 to C4 (RDA = 133) applying the same above-mentioned brushing forces. Abrasive dentin wear was recorded using a stylus profilometer and compared amongst the groups using robust models. Pairwise comparisons in each model were tested and corrected after Tukey's method ( = 0.05). RESULTS Applying 1-N brushing force resulted in the same amount of abrasive dentin wear in all groups regardless of the abrasivity of the used slurry. Increasing the brushing force to 2 N resulted in statistically significantly higher abrasive wear in all groups. This increase in abrasive wear was much higher when the slurry with high abrasivity was used (RDA = 133) compared with the lower abrasive slurry (RDA = 71). CONCLUSION The abrasivity of the used slurry does not add to the resulting abrasive wear when the brushing force is kept at 1 N. It seems better to advise and help the patients (showing signs of non-carious cervical lesions) calibrating their brushing force to 1 N, than only to advise them to use toothpastes with lower abrasivities.

Toothpaste Abrasion and Abrasive Particle Content: Correlating High-Resolution Profilometric Analysis with Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA)

“…The abrasion values increase up to more than tenfold, depending on the bristle diameter, the number of bristles and the cleaned surface (number of bristles multiplied by the surface area of a single bristle) [ 4 ]. Furthermore, it has been shown that the bristle stiffness [ 23 ] and terminal shape [ 24 ] alone and in combination with different brushing forces [ 25 , 26 ] yield different abrasive wear results on dentine. It is, therefore, crucial to use only one toothbrush model consistently for all tests.…”

“…Using different toothbrush models may compromise the comparability of results in different studies. Moreover, the abrasive wear on dentine changes for toothpaste slurries with different abrasivity depending on the used brushing force [ 26 ]. To avoid such effects and to ensure comparability of our brushing tests with RDA measurements, we chose a brushing force of 1.5 N, according to the standard [ 10 ], and kept it constant in all tests.…”

Cleaning performance of electric toothbrushes around brackets applying different brushing forces: an in-vitro study

“…Wiegand et al 27 reported the mean brushing force applied with an electric toothbrush to be around 1 N (0.9 ± 0.1 N). Brushing at 1-N force was also reported to exhibit less abrasive damage to tooth structure compared to higher brushing forces 28 . At the same time, van der Weijden et al 29 reported that a regular lower brushing force (1.5 N) was more efficacious in removing plaque than a higher brushing force (3.5 N) using an electric toothbrush.…”

Intraoral Scanning for Monitoring Dental Wear and Its Risk Factors: A Prospective Study

“…[ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ], or soft, as when biting the buccal and labial mucosa [ 23 ]. Abrasion has also been reported due to inadequate washing of vegetables containing soil [ 24 ] or due to inappropriate brushing techniques or abrasive toothpastes [ 20 , 25 , 26 ].…”