Interdental Cleaning and hygienist in Loughborough Birstall

article by Raha Sepehrara

Interdental cleaning: A.K.A – brushing in-between your teeth

 Unfortunately there are certain areas within the mouth that your toothbrush is unable to clean. These are generally the hot spots for bacteria to build up. This is why it is important to use different tools as well as your toothbrush in order to create a healthy mouth. The tools used to clean in – between your teeth come in all different colours, shapes and sizes.

I would strongly advise that you seek advice prior to going out and purchasing such items. The spaces in – between your teeth are all different and it is important to ensure that you are using the correct size. Unfortunately it is not one size fits all!

A dental hygienist will be able to measure the spaces in – between your teeth and advise you on what size brushes will be appropriate for you. Also a demonstration may be given in order to ensure that you are using these items in the correct way thus preventing any potential damage to your gums.

How do you use Floss?

• Floss is generally used in very tight spaces where you are unable to fit a brush.
• Ensure that you do not adopt a sawing motion as this will damage your gums.
• Move it gently making a C shape around the tooth, slide it down the side of the tooth and then move to the other side.
• Move floss around your fingers to make sure that the same piece of floss is not used again in another space.

Flossing can be a little tricky especially in back teeth. Take your time and make sure you use a mirror to check what you are doing.

How do you use the interdental brushes?

• There is a variety of colours, shapes and sizes.
• The colour indicates the width of the bristles on the brush which saves us from trying to remember measurements.
• Note some manufacturers will have the same colour brushes but they may be different sizes.
• Interdental brushes are to be used prior to tooth brushing.
• They disrupt the bacteria in the space.
• Use a mirror so you can see what you are doing.
• You simply place the brush in – between the spaces. Upon placement you should experience some resistance – never force it! It may get stuck!
• Place it half way through the space and turn the brush almost as if it were a key.
• When removing the brush ensure to give it a good rinse before placing it in the space next door.
• This will prevent you from simply moving bacteria from one space to another.
• When you have finished, rinse it through thoroughly and leave to air dry.
• Do not cover the brushes up – we do not want to breed bacteria to put back in our mouths.
• You can re – use the brushes.
• When the bristles look like they have seen much better days – reach for a new one!

I advise my patients to brush twice daily, brushing every surface of every tooth. The above tools are important as they allow us to do exactly that. However I think it is vital that the basics of brushing are mastered first before exploring the above tools.  I would suggest that you speak with a dental hygienist prior to using the above items, ensure that the tools you have are appropriate and will be of use to you.

Most importantly - take your time and think about what you are doing, where you are doing it and with which tool.

Share this article

There is no comments on this post.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *