This document provides information on proper tooth brushing techniques. It discusses the components of a toothbrush, ideal brush properties, brush designs including manual and electric options. It covers different brushing techniques like Stillman and Bass methods. The roles of toothpaste, floss, and other aids are outlined. Recommendations are provided for brushing techniques based on location, like occlusal surfaces and the tongue. Mouth rinsing after brushing is emphasized for its role in removing debris.

1. Dr. Hina Barkaat
Assistant Professor
University Medical & Dental College
Faisalabad

2. Tooth brush
Tooth paste
Tooth brushing techniques

4. Tooth Brush
 The toothbrush is an instrument consisting of a small
brush on a handle used to clean teeth through tooth
brushing
 Act of cleaning your teeth with the tooth brush is
called Tooth Brushing

5. Tooth paste
 Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a
toothbrush to clean and maintain the aesthetics and
health of teeth

6. Functions of Tooth brush
 Used to promote oral hygiene
 Aid in the removal of dental plaque and food from the
teeth on all the surfaces
 Elimination and/or masking of halitosis
 Deliver active ingredients such as fluoride or xylitol to
prevent tooth and gum disease (gingivitis)

7. Amount of paste applied?

9. Introduction
 The Arabs before Islam, used a piece of root of arak
tree because its fibers stood out like bristles, this
device was called as ‘siwak’.
 In the 7th century, Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W) made rules
for oral hygiene and it became a religious obligation.
 To this day siwak, composed from aromatic types of
wood, is still used.

11.  Chewing sticks not only help to physically clean teeth
but also they contain antibacterial oils & tannins, that
may help to prevent or remove plaque

13.  The bristle tooth brush appeared 1st in china in 1600
 They vary in size, design, length, hardness and
arrangement of bristles
 Hence recommending a particular tooth brush, the
ease of use by a patient as well as the perception that
the brush works well are important
 Each brush has a Handle, a Shank and a Working end

15. Components of a Toothbrush
Shank
Handle
Working end

16. Ideal Properties of a Tooth Brush
 Should remove all the plaque
 Should access all the surfaces of the tooth
 Should not injure the Gingiva
 The bristles should be soft
 The bristles should not deteriorate/ or should have
long working life

17. Tooth Brush Design
 The bristles are grouped in Tufts
 Usually 3 or 4 rows of tufts
 Bristles are obtained from Hogs or artificially from the
Nylon
 Two major types : manual & Electric

19. Manual & Electric

20. Soft and Hard Bristles
Which is the better one?

21. Force for Brushing
 The amount of force used is not critical for effective
tooth brushing
 vigorous brushing can lead to
-Gingival recession
-Bacteremia
-Wedge shaped defects in the cervical
area of the root surface

22.  When brushing force is increased, more plaque is
removed. Numerous studies have reported brushing
forces. Some of these previously reported tooth
brushing forces were 2.95 N , 2.61 N , 2.96 N , 3.23. N,
2.3 N .

23. Tooth brush Trauma

25. Techniques
 Stillman , Charters & Bass
 Modified Stillman & Bass technique
 Fones technique
 Leonard technique
 Scrub technique

26. Stillman Method
 A toothbrushing technique that incorporates gingival
stimulation and dental cleansing, in which the
toothbrush is held against both the gingival and the
dental surfaces and manually vibrated

27. Stillman’s

28. Cont……
 The bristles ends are placed at 45 degree with the
bristles directed apically on the gingiva and partly on
the cervical portion of the tooth
 when the bristles are in position a gentle but firm
vibratory motion is applied to the brush with the
bristles remaining in the same position

29. Modified Stillman’s Technique
 A rolling stroke is also added in the movements
 The rolling stroke is used after every vibratory
movement

30. Charter’s Method
 A method of toothbrushing utilizing a restricted
vibratory motion with the bristles inclined coronally at
a 45 degree angle.
 Used when the interdental gingiva does not fill the
embrasure spaces

31. Charter’s

32. Cont……
 The bristles are placed at 90 degree towards the
occlusal surface
 The bristles are placed interproximally and then
vibratory movement is used while keeping the bristles
in the position

33. Bass Method (intrasulcular)
 Toothbrushing technique for controlling plaque
involving placement of the bristles in the sulcus at an
angle of 45° to the tooth's long axis and vibrating the
bristles in a quick manner from side to side
 Most widely accepted method for removal of plaque

34. Bass Method

35. Cont……
 The head of the tooth brush is placed parallel with the
occlusal surfaces of the teeth and the bristles are
directed apically into the gingival sulcus at 45 degree
angle along the long axis of the tooth
 A firm pressure is applied in apical direction and by
making short vibratory strokes

37. Modified Bass Method
 The modification consists of sweeping the bristles
downward over the tooth surface occlusally

38. Fone’s Technique (circular Method)
 A toothbrushing technique in which, with the teeth
occluded and with the brush at more or less right
angles to the teeth, large sweeping, scrubbing circles
are described. With the jaws parted, the palatal and
lingual surfaces of the teeth are scrubbed using
smaller circles. Occlusal surfaces are brushed in an
anteroposterior direction.

39. Cont……
 Brush is placed perpendicular to the tooth
 Teeth are clenched and large circular movements are
given with the toothbrush
 Not recommended now because injury to gingiva
usually occurs

40. Leonard’s Technique
 a method of teeth cleaning that advocates a vigorous
drawing of the toothbrush up and down across the
teeth. The teeth are held apart, so that each section is
brushed separately.
 Also known as vertical toothbrushing.

41. Roll Method
 Brush is placed over the gingiva with the bristles
placed apically
 The jaws are separated
 The bristles are pressed against the gingiva and with
continued pressure the brush is slowly rolled down
over the surface of gingiva and tooth by rotating the
wrist

42. Cont……
 Most easy method
 But the gingival sulcus may not be cleaned by this

43. Brushing the Occlusal Surface
 The bristles are placed at right angle on the occlusal
surface with the ends of the bristles deep into the pits
and fissures
 Vibrate the brush while keeping in the same area
 Next give it the circular movements

44. Occlusal Brushing

45. Brushing the Tongue
 Place the bristles at a right angle to the tongue
 Apply pressure on the tongue and give to and fro
movements

46. Mouth Rinsing
 Very important
 Done to flush away the debris that was loosened but
not removed
 Water or Mouth wash

48. Introduction
 Simple toothbrushing cannot clean all the surfaces
 For ideal plaque removal certain aids must be
supplemented which assist in cleaning the remaining
portions
 Dental floss
 Interdental toothbrushes
 Mouth washes
 Disclosing tablets and solutions
 Dentifrices

49. Dental Floss

50.  Effective use of dental floss accomplishes the following
objectives :
i. Removes plaque and debris that adheres to the
teeth, restorations, orthodontic appliances, fixed
prosthesis and around implants.
ii. Aids clinician in identifying the presence of
interproximal calculus deposits, overhanging
restorations, or interproximal carious lesions.

51.  Reduces gingival bleeding

52. Types of dental floss
 Not all interproximal contact areas, whether natural
or restored have the same configuration.
 Consequently, several types of floss are available to
accommodate for these differences.
 They vary from thin unwaxed varieties to thicker
waxed types and include variable thickness.

53.  Waxed floss
 Unwaxed floss

54.  Clinical trials have shown no significant difference in
the cleaning ability between waxed and non waxed
floss.
 Wax residue has not been found on tooth surfaces
cleaned with waxed floss.
 Unwaxed floss is frequently recommended because it
is thin and slips easily through tight contact areas

55.  However, unwaxed floss can fray and tear when
contacting rotated teeth, heavy calculus deposits, or
defective and overhang restorations.
 For such conditions, waxed, lightly waxed resistant
floss are recommended.

56. Flossing technique

60. Interdental Brush

61. Usage

62. Disclosing tablets & Solutions

63. Disclosed plaque