The measurement of the effect of toothbrushes on soft tissue abrasion.

The effect of toothbrushes on soft tissue abrasion was measured using hamster cheek pouch tissue brushed mechanically for various intervals. The detection of protein removed during brushing was used as an index of tissue abrasion. The method was found to be sensitive in detecting the effects of brush load, number of strokes applied, and the texture of the brush. The results further showed that the mechanical removal of sharp edges from bristle tips substantially reduced the level of soft tissue abrasion while a dentifrice polishing agent applied to the tissue with a brush did not increase the abrasive effect of the brush.