Toothbrushing schedule, motivation and 'lifestyle' behaviours in 7,770 young adolescents

Data from a survey of 7,770 14-15-year-old children from 131 secondary schools throughout England were analysed to obtain information about the times of day they brushed their teeth, their motivation for toothbrushing, and some 'lifestyle' variables. In the 19 per cent of respondents who reported brushing their teeth once per day, 75 per cent did so in the morning before school; only 23 per cent reported brushing before going to bed at night. In this group there was a marked association between reported readership of broadsheet newspapers and reported time of brushing in the daily schedule. As reported newspaper readership changed towards the popular tabloids, the proportion of subjects who reported brushing only in the morning increased. Almost all those who claimed to brush two or three times per day reported brushing before bed. There were systematic differences in motivation for toothbrushing: those who reported brushing only once per day appeared to be motivated more by social reasons than by preventive dental health reasons. Among other factors, toothbrushing appeared to be influenced by getting up time, breakfast, and time of going to bed. The results demonstrate that toothbrushing habits are strongly influenced by an individual's lifestyle and social behaviour. Dental health advice needs to take into account this broad pattern of background factors.