Astudy On The Size, Characteristics And The Shape Of $Dentichek^{(R)}$ Toothbrush

($Denticheck^{(R)}$) 치솔의 규격, 특성 및 행태에 관한 연구

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate dimensional consistency, bristle finishes and bristle rebound rate of four brands of $Dentichek^{(R)}$ toothbrushes(regular-male, regular-female, soft-male, soft-female) to provide referneces in product enhancement and quality control for the manufacturer and to provide suggestions in selecting appropriate toothbrushes for general public. The results are as follows : 1. The size of the head is : $25.10{\times}8.10mm$ for male toothbrushes and $19.90{\times}8.10mm$ for male toothbrushes, while the size of the bristle portion is: $29.90{\times}10.65mm$ for male toothbrushes and $25.25{\times}10.65mm$ for female toothbrushes. 2. The length of the bristles is 10.70mm in all four groups. 3. The length of the toothbrush is 192mm in all four groups. 4. The number of tuft is 43 for male toothbrushes and 35 for female toothbrushes. Tuft arrangement is 4-row configuration in all four groups. 5. The number of bristles in a tuft ranges from 40-56, with higher numbers in male toothbrushes compared to the female counterparts, and higher numbers in the "soft" variety compared to the regular ones. 6. The diameter of the bristle is : 0.21mm for the outer row and 0.19mm for the inner row in the regular brand, and 0.17mm for the soft brand. 7. Irregularly finished bristle ends comprised 20-22% of the total bristles. 8. The bristle rebound rate ranges from 55.9% to 62.3%, with higher numbers in the "soft" variety compared to the regular ones. The above results show that $Dentichek^{(R)}$ toothbrushes meet the requirements of Korean Dental Association standards for toothbrushes, but further evaluations of their effects on periodontium and plaque elimination in actual in-use situation may be needed.