Dental Cleaning at Home: Don’t forget the Spaces Between Your Teeth!

Healthy oral health can save tons of money — healthy teeth means fewer expenses on the dental procedure. A good care routine saves your teeth, and improves your oral and overall health.

Dental prophylaxis with professional Dental Cleaning by Dentist on Chinguacousy Rd is an important part of our overall health care — as we regularly explain here:

Clean teeth and interdental spaces!

But comprehensive oral hygiene also includes the right care in everyday life. Brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day — that’s one thing. The weak points of oral health are often the spaces between the teeth.

In technical terminology, the more or less pronounced “interfaces” of the teeth are called approximal spaces. This is where food residues settle, bacteria find a great climate, and plaque an ideal basis.

So that the gaps between the teeth do not become a stopgap, they must also be carefully cared for. We will now show you how to thoroughly clean the interdental spaces and which tools are necessary for cleaning the interdental spaces.

Why is interdental cleaning so important?

Dental plaque, this sticky bio-film on teeth and tooth necks, especially in the spaces between them, is the main factor in diseases of the teeth, gums, and the system of supporting organs: tooth decay, gingivitis, and periodontitis.

The thorough removal of plaque, known as a precursor for stubborn tartar, is, therefore, the most important preventive measure for maintaining oral health.

Dentist on Chinguacousy Rd has put together the various methods for cleaning the interdental spaces for you.

Dental Floss

Dental floss is available in different thicknesses and widths. Un-waxed dental floss made of intertwined individual fibers has a smaller diameter than its waxed counterpart, can also be used in tight spaces between the teeth, but it tears more quickly.

Dental floss is easier to insert between the teeth, does not get threaded in rough places as often, and is less likely to tear. Instead, it has a stronger cross-section, which limits its use with very closely spaced teeth.

The risk of injury to the gums is higher with waxed dental floss; the effectiveness of cleaning is the same for both products. Correct application is more important so as not to injure the gums. Step-by-step instructions are usually found on each package. Here is a quick summary:

• about 20 to 30 centimeters of floss is sufficient for one application per jaw
• Tension the thread between the index fingers of each hand
• thread it carefully and push it back and forth vertically and horizontally with gentle pressure
• use a new section of thread for each interdentally space
• To do this, simply wrap the used floss on your finger
• An alternative to the finger technique is small plastic clamping aids

Interdental brushes

Fortunately, those who cannot get used to using dental floss have even more options to thoroughly remove plaque from their teeth. Not every adult wore corrective braces in their youth says “Dentist on Chinguacousy Rd”.

Due to the individual tooth growth, dentists, therefore, recommend small interdental brushes as an alternative to dental floss. The mini brushes with a slim triangular shape have proven to be particularly effective in the case of wide approximal spaces with the risk of gingival pockets forming.

Interdental brushes are available as single-use products or for multiple uses. They usually consist of a (plastic-coated) metal wire to which the cleaning bristles are attached. The brushes are available in different diameters.

You should replace the device every one to two weeks with regular use. Cleaning the spaces between the teeth is often easier with small brushes than with dental floss.

However, this is a matter of taste for the respective user. Speaking of taste: Dental floss is offered with different flavors and interdental brushes are now also available with taste — for example with a mint flavor!

Read out this: Easy Ways to Whiten Your Teeth at Home

Tooth sticks — be careful with toothpicks!

In common parlance, the thin sticks are called toothpicks. And that is precisely the shortcoming of sharp woods made of softwood or plastic: the risk of injury.

If used improperly, you will poke your gums bloody and do more harm than good. Periodontal pockets, in which fibrous food residues “bite into” deeply, cannot be cleared out by using a toothpick.

Toothpicks are not suitable for removing plaque, but they are very popular for short-term interdental cleaning after eating out and when traveling. Mouth irrigators have proven effective for cleaning at home.

Mouth rinses

With an oral irrigator, the spaces between the teeth are cleaned with a thin jet of water, the intensity of which can be adjusted in stages. What many patients from the dental practice know as a pleasant cleaning ritual during Best Dentist on Chinguacousy Rd has long since found its way into private households.

Conclusion

Just brushing your teeth is not enough to remove the dangerous plaque in the interdental spaces. Let follow dental care advice you which of the methods described above is best for you.