TOOTHBRUSHING TECHNIQUES

Abstract

Introduction: The mechanical removal of biofilm by flossing and brushing techniques from the dental surfaces should be individually applied to each patient in order to maintain the oral health. Objective: This study aimed at reviewing the literature on toothbrushing techniques, identify and describe them according to the oral health condition and also differentiate the step-by-step procedures and show the data in a synoptic table. Methodology: The search strategy used the descriptors “oral hygiene” or “tooth brushing” and “techniques” in three databases. Articles from the last twenty years published in Portuguese and available as full text were selected. The inclusion criteria considered purpose and indication of brushing technique; position, inclination and direction of brush bristles; type and duration of brush movement. Results: Forty-eight articles were found but only two of them described the tooth brushing technique. The exploratory analysis considered twenty-one technical documents. The descriptive analysis analysed twenty-three documents but two of them were discarded because they did not attend at least three inclusion criteria listed above. Conclusion: There was disagreement on the informations found, probably due to the scarcity of a technical document on this subject. Further studies must be done to describe the importance, the indication and the way of performing the toothbrushing techniques.