Morphological analysis of the bristles from toothbrushes sold in the Peruvian market, using scanning electron microscopy. Part II – Pediatric toothbrushes

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the morphology of children’s toothbrushes marketed in the Peruvian market using scanning electron microscopy. Material and Methods: This was an observational, prospective, cross-sectional, and analytical study. Scanning electron microscopy images of bristles from 24 models of pediatric toothbrushes were analyzed, following the classification system proposed by Silverstone and Featherstone and modified by Reiter and Wetzel, using a digital tool specifically developed for this study. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed on patterns of bristle acceptability and unacceptability, along with inferential analysis of these patterns in relation to the following characterization variables: number of filaments per tuft, total number of filaments per brush, country of origin, and retail price. Results: The percentage of acceptable bristle tips ranged from 0% to 100%, indicating substantial variability in bristle morphology among the evaluated toothbrushes. No statistically significant associations were found between bristle acceptability and the analyzed variables. However, a moderate and statistically significant positive correlation was observed between the total number of bristles in manual toothbrushes and their retail price in Peruvian soles (r = 0.58, p = 0.003). Conclusion: This study revealed substantial heterogeneity in the morphology of bristles in children’s toothbrushes marketed in Peru, with several models exhibiting proportions of unacceptable bristles equal to or greater than acceptable ones. In addition, although a positive association was observed between toothbrush price and bristle density, no significant relationship was found between price and bristle acceptability, indicating that higher-cost toothbrushes do not necessarily guarantee better morphological quality.

KEYWORDS

Home care dental devices; Gingival recession; Oral hygiene; Tooth abrasion; Toothbrushing