Type of toothbrush and brushing techniques used amongst Senior High School Students in Kumasi

Abstract

Background: Tooth brushing is an essential part of an oral hygiene routine. This routine typically includes the use of a toothbrush and toothpaste. The current day toothbrush consists of a head of tightly clustered bristles mounted on a handle, which facilitates the cleansing of both accessible and hard-to-reach areas in the mouth. An appropriate tooth brushing habit is defined as brushing at least twice daily for two minutes with a brushing force of less than three Newtons (3N) and circling or sweeping vertical movements using a soft to a medium bristle toothbrush.

Objective: To determine tooth brushing techniques and the types of toothbrushes used among Senior High School Students in Kumasi.

Mateials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional quantitative survey conducted amongst students in second-cycle institutions in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area. The Armed Forces Senior High Technical School was selected for the study through simple random selection, and 122 respondents were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire.

Results: Medium, hard, and soft-bristled toothbrushes were used by 62 (50.8%), 43(35.2%), and 16(13.0%) of the respondents, respectively. The Combination, Vertical, and Horizontal brushing methods were preferred by 44(36.1%), while the least adopted methods were the Circular (10, 8.2%). And Random (10, 8.2%).
Discussion: The combination of vertical and horizontal brushing was highest, while the recommended modified Bass technique was practiced by only 15 (12.3%) respondents.
Conclusion: The study has exposed a need for a further drive on awareness initiatives that focus on tooth brushing techniques among senior high school students.