Toothbrushing behaviour and periodontal pocketing: An 11‐year longitudinal study

AIM: To explore the association between toothbrushing behaviour and change in periodontal pocketing among adults. METHODS: We pooled data from 1,025 adults, aged 30-89 years, who participated in two national surveys in Finland (Health 2000 and Health 2011, BRIF8901) and reported their toothbrushing frequency. A cumulative measure of regular toothbrushing was created by counting the number of times participants reported brushing twice or more daily across the two surveys (ranging from 0 to 2). The association between toothbrushing behaviour and the number of teeth with periodontal pocket depth (PPD) ≥4 mm over 11 years was assessed in linear regression models adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: There was a clear dose-response relationship between toothbrushing frequency (either at baseline or follow-up) and change in number of teeth with PPD ≥ 4 mm. There was also evidence of a cumulative effect of regular toothbrushing on change in number of teeth with PPD ≥ 4 mm. Participants who reported brushing twice or more a day in both surveys developed 1.99 (95% CI: 1.02-2.95) fewer teeth with PPD ≥ 4 mm than those who did not report this behaviour in any survey. CONCLUSION: This 11-year prospective study showed that toothbrushing behaviour was associated with smaller increments in the number of teeth with periodontal pocketing.