Purpose: To determine the impact of the brushing protocol on dentin wear by comparing continuous to intermittent brushing, with the same total time of brushing.
Materials and Methods: Dentin specimens (n = 120) were evently distributed into six groups (A–F). The samples were brushed with slurries of different relative dentin abrasivity (RDA): Groups A+B (Sident 2480-1; RDA 85), groups C+D (Zeodent 113; RDA 67), and groups E+F (Zeodent 103; RDA 174). Groups A+C+E were brushed continuously (25 min) with one slurry preparation, while groups B+D+F were brushed intermittently (25 x 1 min) with a renewal of the slurry after each sequence. Dentin wear was determined using surface profilometry and statistically analysed with ANOVA and post-hoc tests.
Results: Neither the mode of brushing (p = 0.72) nor the interaction (p = 0.18) of the brushing mode with the type of abrasive particles had a significant influence on the abrasive dentin wear. Only the type of abrasive particles had a statistically significant influence on abrasive dentin wear (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The mode of brushing (continuously or intermittently) has no influence on abrasive dentin wear.
Keywords: brushing, continuously, dentin wear, intermittently