Resumo

MOREIRA, Vanderlúcia Gomes et al. Morphological parameters of toothbrushes sold in João Pessoa - PB. IJD, Int. j. dent. [online]. 2010, vol.9, n.4, pp. 169-173. ISSN 1806-146X.

To evaluate morphological parameters of toothbrushes sold in João Pessoa, according to specifications of the National Agency for Sanitary Surveillance (ANVISA), and criteria established by the researchers: hard bristles, manufacturer, operating instructions, usage time, quality label of the Brazilian Dental Association, ABO, and price. Were used an inductive approach, with a statistical descriptive and technical documentation directly. Were selected by convenience, 20 brands of toothbrushes (being 10 for adult use and 10 for kids' use) marketed in the city of Joao Pessoa. Were observed the following criteria: brand, length of the brush, the brush head width, price, label the ABO, the presence of instruction of use, usage time, hardness of the bristles. Of the total sample, 85% indicated the time of use, 45% said instructions, 25% had ABO label. The price ranged between $ 0.89 to $ 8.00. Regarding the hardness of the bristles, 65% of the brushes were soft, 25% were medium, 5% were extra-soft and 5% did not report on hardness of the bristles. The length of the brushes for children and adults ranged between 194 mm and 138 mm. The width of the brush head was between 15 mm and 9 mm. The results obtained by the paper show that the brushes obey the rules and specifications of ANVISA. The presence of the ABO's label and instructions for use were not common items in the package of brushes analyzed.

Palavras-chave : Toothbrushing; Oral Hygiene; Oral Health.