Toothbrushing frequency in 4 consecutive studies of Finnish adolescents

Abstract This study aimed at analyzing the pattern of toothbrushing frequency over a period of 2 years in a group of Finnish adolescents. Data for this study were collected from 4 questionnaires distributed to a sample of adolescents born in 1960, 1962, and 1964. Subjects were divided into 4 groups according to their reported toothbrushing frequencies. Half of the subjects remained in the same category of brushing frequency (in 3 categories) during the consecutive studies. Among those having changed the frequency (54%), changing to a better toothbrushing frequency was more common among girls than among boys.