ABRASION ON THE SOFT TISSUE OF THE MOUTH

An in-vitro study was done to compare the soft tissue abrasivity from:

1. the Dental Air Force cleaning system
2. a widely accepted powered toothbrush and toothpaste
3. a widely accepted manual toothbrush and toothpaste

In this abrasivity test on soft tissue, Dental Air Force home dental cleaning system cleaned at a safe level of abrasion of soft tissue, especially when compared with the abrasion of soft tissue by manual toothbrush combined with toothpaste gel or mechanical toothbrush combined with toothpaste gel.

The abrasivity test on soft tissue conducted by the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry Periodontology Department was a modification of a study by Breitenmoser, Mormann, and Muhlemann – “”Damaging effects of toothbrush bristle end form on gingival”” reported in the Journal of Periodontology 50(4):212-6, 1979. In both this test and their study, a home style dental cleaning of 30 seconds per quadrant was followed by a disclosing solution to stain connective tissue. Connective tissue turns a purple color when stained. Any abrasion that cut through the top epithelial cellular layer to the connecting tissue can easily be seen. The extent of the exposed, purpled-stained connective tissue can be measured against the pink top epithelail layer of soft tissue.

Some localized areas of purple-stained connective tissue are recorded in the Dental Air Force system photograph, but the quantity of abrasion is no more than recorded in the photographs of the toothbrush cleanings. The pattern of abrasion was unique for each device tested. The manual toothbrush cleaning created a somewhat linear pattern of abrasion that spread everywhere. The mechanical toothbrush cleaning resulted in concentrated patterns of abrasion along heights of contour. The Dental Air Force system cleaning resulted in a concentrated pattern of abrasion along the gum line. There were no adverse abrasions or lesions caused by any of the devices tested.

1. the Dental Air Force cleaning system the Dental Air Force cleaning system.

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2 .a widely accepted powered toothbrush and toothpaste a widely accepted powered toothbrush and toothpaste.

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3. a widely accepted manual toothbrush and toothpaste.

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