Brushing your tooth with an excessive amount of drive could cause everlasting harm to the very important tooth construction. However how a lot drive is an excessive amount of? The Zent flex toothbrush affords an elegantly easy answer that ensures you at all times brush with precisely the fitting strain.

My preliminary impression of the thought behind the Zent Flex toothbrush was, “That’s good!”  There are related ideas in electrical toothbrushes that beep at you or flash a crimson gentle when the person makes use of an excessive amount of strain, however they don’t really cease the drive.  We at all times advise sufferers to brush gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush.  In any case, it takes little or no strain to take away dental plaque from the tooth.  However in my expertise, there are some individuals who simply can’t appear to reduce the strain they use.  The distinctive design of the click joint within the Zent Flex toothbrush could also be precisely what they want.

Tooth enamel is the toughest construction within the human physique, a lot tougher than bones.  It’s attainable, albeit tough, to mechanically abrade (regularly put on away) enamel.  Enamel abrasion is just not our largest concern with poor brushing method, although.  

There are two severe penalties of an aggressive toothbrushing method: 1) gum recession, and a couple of) root abrasion.

Though poor brushing method is just not the first reason behind gum recession, it’s actually a contributing consider many circumstances.  The gum tissues surrounding the tooth are comparatively delicate, so any inappropriate drive could cause them to again away from that perceived damage.  Gum recession in itself is unhealthy as a result of it’s a lack of attachment between the tooth and the underlying jawbone.  Gums which have receded don’t develop again.  Extreme gum recession can require gum grafting surgical procedure to restore the defects.

Within the consideration of poor brushing method, a recession is exceptionally unhealthy as a result of it exposes the roots of the tooth, growing the chance for the second consequence of onerous brushing: root abrasion.  Root abrasion is more likely than enamel abrasion as a result of the roots of tooth do not need a protecting enamel coating.  As an alternative, the roots are coated in a skinny layer of cementum, which could be very prone to abrasion.  As soon as the cementum is gone, the underlying dentin (the main element of tooth) is uncovered, resulting in a excessive threat for cavities and tooth sensitivity.  Like gums, cementum and dentin don’t regenerate on their very own.  If extreme abrasion happens, dental restorations is perhaps essential to restore the defects.

The Zent Flex mechanism of “breaking” the joint at 150g of drive is suitable based mostly on scientific analysis in regards to the drive required to take away dental plaque versus the drive that damages dentin.  Analysis helps (and it simply is smart) that growing drive will improve plaque elimination.  That’s the entire level of brushing: to take away the sticky movie of plaque that incorporates disease-causing micro organism.  Sooner or later, although, that growing drive will take away not solely the plaque but in addition the dentin to which it’s caught!

The brink of 150 grams of drive can be an accepted standardized quantity for Toothbrushing as the suitable quantity of strain.  We see this within the testing protocols that the American Dental Affiliation makes use of in its Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) index.  They use 150g of drive when testing the abrasion potential of assorted sorts of toothpaste.

The rationale dentin is so important to this dialog is that it incorporates tiny pores, referred to as tubules, which create a communication between the oral setting and the nerve inside every tooth.  Chemical or mechanical processes that open or widen these tubules will open that communication, which means you’ll be extra prone to really feel scorching, chilly, and candy sensations within the nerve.  This research reveals that utilizing a decrease drive when brushing really helps to shrink these tiny pores, decreasing sensitivity considerably.

[Side note: While sensitivity is a more common consequence of open dentinal tubules, we also need to worry about cavities.  The open pores in dentin increase the risk for bacterial contamination, and therefore increase the risk for cavities on these exposed root surfaces.]

After utilizing the comb myself, I used to be stunned to be taught that I brush too onerous!  I’m a dentist!  After all, I think about myself to be somebody with a terrific brushing method.  Throughout my first use of the Zentflex, it was onerous to cease laughing at myself as a result of the click joint broke time and again.  I did really feel, as I brushed, that I may need been lacking areas, which brought on me to pay shut consideration to how totally I used to be protecting the tooth.

The comb itself is comfy and well-constructed.  The bristles really feel soft-to-medium-soft.  (Extra importantly, they felt a lot softer after the click joint broke at 150g of drive.)  As I continued brushing, I seen that I used to be regularly altering my method to maintain the joint from breaking, so I feel this brush carries nice potential for coaching individuals within the acceptable quantity of toothbrushing drive.  If that is the one toothbrush you utilize, I imagine that over time you’d develop a brushing method that might not trigger the joint to interrupt.

Conclusion

This toothbrush could be an exquisite software for anybody with delicate tooth, gum recession, root publicity, or just a naturally heavy brushing method.  I like to recommend it for these specific individuals as a result of its protecting skills and its coaching potential.  It additionally has the benefit of being a lot inexpensive than the typical electrical toothbrushes that promote the identical protecting features.

Dr. Lara Coseo

Dr. Lara Coseo, (DDS, FAGD) is a 2004 graduate of Baylor Faculty of Dentistry in Dallas, Texas. Having practiced basic dentistry for 13 years, Dr. Lara at the moment serves as an Affiliate Professor at Texas A&M Faculty of Dentistry.