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

My preliminary impression of the concept behind the Zent Flex toothbrush was, “That’s good!”  There are comparable ideas in electrical toothbrushes that beep at you or flash a pink gentle when the person makes use of an excessive amount of strain, however they don’t truly cease the drive.  We at all times advise sufferers to brush gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush.  In spite of everything, it takes little or no strain to take away dental plaque from the enamel.  However in my expertise, there are some individuals who simply can’t appear to reduce the strain they use.  The distinctive design of the press 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 doable, albeit troublesome, to mechanically abrade (progressively put on away) enamel.  Enamel abrasion is just not our greatest concern with poor brushing approach, although.  

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

Though poor brushing approach is just not the first reason for gum recession, it’s actually a contributing consider many instances.  The gum tissues surrounding the enamel are comparatively delicate, so any inappropriate drive may cause them to again away from that perceived damage.  Gum recession in itself is dangerous as a result of it’s a lack of attachment between the enamel 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 approach, a recession is exceptionally dangerous as a result of it exposes the roots of the enamel, rising the danger for the second consequence of laborious brushing: root abrasion.  Root abrasion is more likely than enamel abrasion as a result of the roots of enamel shouldn’t have a protecting enamel coating.  As a substitute, the roots are lined in a skinny layer of cementum, which could be very inclined to abrasion.  As soon as the cementum is gone, the underlying dentin (the main part of enamel) 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 may be 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 rising drive will improve plaque removing.  That’s the entire level of brushing: to take away the sticky movie of plaque that incorporates disease-causing micro organism.  In some unspecified time in the future, although, that rising drive will take away not solely the plaque but additionally the dentin to which it’s caught!

The edge 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 varied sorts of toothpaste.

The rationale dentin is so important to this dialog is that it incorporates tiny pores, known 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, that means you’ll be extra more likely to really feel sizzling, chilly, and candy sensations within the nerve.  This examine reveals that utilizing a decrease drive when brushing truly helps to shrink these tiny pores, lowering 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 shocked to be taught that I brush too laborious!  I’m a dentist!  After all, I think about myself to be somebody with a fantastic brushing approach.  Throughout my first use of the Zentflex, it was laborious to cease laughing at myself as a result of the press joint broke again and again.  I did really feel, as I brushed, that I may need been lacking areas, which prompted me to pay shut consideration to how totally I used to be protecting the enamel.

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 press joint broke at 150g of drive.)  As I continued brushing, I observed that I used to be progressively altering my approach to maintain the joint from breaking, so I believe this brush carries nice potential for coaching folks within the applicable quantity of toothbrushing drive.  If that is the one toothbrush you utilize, I imagine that over time you’d develop a brushing approach that will not trigger the joint to interrupt.

Conclusion

This toothbrush could be an exquisite software for anybody with delicate enamel, gum recession, root publicity, or just a naturally heavy brushing approach.  I like to recommend it for these explicit folks because 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 capabilities.

Dr. Lara Coseo

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