SURVEY OF TOOTHBRUSHING BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG-ADULTS

Eighty‐seven sunjects from 3 age groups (5, 11 and 18–22 yr) were asked to brush their teeth and were unaware that they were recorded on video tape. from repeated viewing of the films the following data were obtained: the areas of the mouth which were brushed, the brushing stroke used in each area, the total brushing time and the proportion of time spent on each area. In each of the three age groups, the proportion of the areas that were brushed was 25, 50 and 67 per cent, respectively. MOre time was spent brushing the lower than the upper teeth, and the contra‐lateral side (the left side in right‐handed persons) was brushed more than the ipse‐lateral sinde in children but equally in adults. Less than 10 per cent of the time was spent brushing lingual areas. The most populor brushing strokes were the horizontal in children and the vertical in adults; the roll and circular strokes were seldom used. Eighty‐four per cent of subjects used more than one type of brushing stroke. Copyright © 1978, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved