[Habit patterns in the use of the manual toothbrush. 1]

It is the goal of this study to quantitatively assess the habit patterns of toothbrushing. In the course of nine sessions such variables as force, duration, technique (scrubbing, rotating, or sweeping) as well as the sequence of brush positions and the number of changes of brushing sites were determined in 85 men and women, who were neither motivated nor instructed to maintain oral hygiene. The "force of habit" was an unexpectedly dominant factor, the least variations being observed in the brushing technique. On the other hand, a comparison of the degrees of habit of patients with and without acute or chronic brush-induced lesions (gingival recession, Stillman's clefts, wedge-shaped defects) revealed that patients with gingival recessions had the highest degree of habit. Consequences of clinical relevance are pointed out.