Abstract
In recent years, electric toothbrushes have become widespread. However, injuries caused by electric toothbrushes have rarely been reported. We describe three cases of oral penetrating injuries caused by electric toothbrushes. Case 1 occurred in a disabled boy while brushing due to unexpected movement. In Case 2, a mother using an electric toothbrush had fallen when bumped by her child. Case 3 involved a man using the toothbrush while taking a bath, who slipped in the bathtub. Cases 1 and 3 were using sonic toothbrushes, and Case 2 was using an oscillating-rotating toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes can cause oral penetrating injuries and infections in the same manner as manual toothbrushes. Prevention of oral trauma requires familiarity with the form and function of electric toothbrushes. Some room for improvement remains in optimizing the form of electric toothbrushes.
Highlights
Intraoral injuries due to toothbrushes are common in children [1, 2]
Few reports appear to have described oral penetrating injuries caused by electric toothbrushes [2]
With the increasing adoption of electric toothbrushes, the number of reports is likely to increase in the near future
Summary
Adults show a lower rate of toothbrush injury than children [3]. Most such injuries occur when the toothbrush is in the mouth and the patient falls or is knocked by another person [4]. Toothbrush injury often involves penetration of the buccal mucosa or soft palate, recovery is achieved without serious complications, but in cases of deep penetration into the oral cavity, the toothbrush can reach the posterior neck and cause damage to important organs such as the trachea and large blood vessels, with potentially fatal results [5]. When brushing, oscillating-rotating toothbrushes have been considered safer than manual toothbrushes for surrounding hard and soft tissues, with the bristles contacting both teeth and gingivae [8]. We describe three cases of oral trauma caused by electric toothbrushes
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