The dislodgement of the sponge head of novel Thai-produced sponge brushes

Abstract

Objective. To perform an in vitro investigation on the dislodgement of sponge head of different manufactured sponge brushes (Sakura shape, Sunstar BUTLER, Japan, and 4 novel Thai-produced sponge brushes; combination of two shapes (round and Leelawadee) and two textures (soft and hard), King Dental Innovation Foundation; KDIF , Thailand. Methods. In order to evaluate the dislodgement of sponge head, strength test measurement was performed according to ISO 20126:2012(E). Five types of polyurethane foam were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The density of the foam was evaluated as the weight of foam in the air per unit volume of a specimen. Specimens were weighed. The volume was analyzed by Micro-CT. Finally, the mean “Force (N)/Density (kg/m3)” data of each group was calculated and investigated. Results. The density of Thai-produced yellow foam, Thai-produced white foam and Japan-produced are as followings; 28.56, 16.17 and 48.53 kg m-3 respectively. The “Force/Density” value of each group were calculated. The comparative analysis revealed that the five types of sponge-foam have different densities. Sakura shape sponge head exhibited significantly more difficult to be dislodged, comparing to other four sponge heads. With the same density, round shape exhibited significantly more difficult to be dislodged, comparing to the Leelawadee shape. Conclusion. The yellow sponge head in the cross-section round shape had the most resistance to dislodgement, compared to four novel Thai-produced sponge brushes because of the higher density of foam results in the higher strength. By the way, fatigue resistance and handle impact test should be conducted for assessing the physical properties of handles. Biological hazards should be the greatest concern to assessing possible biological hazards.