Everyone knows that brushing your teeth is important, but what else do you do to take care of your teeth? A standard toothbrush, whether electric or manual, is a good start, but other products are available for oral hygiene and health too. Cleaning in between your teeth is essential, and you can use products such as dental floss and interdental brushes to do it. Interdental brushes are a great product because they are available in different sizes. They can offer a solution for people who struggle with using floss, but it’s necessary to choose the right size if you want them to be effective.
What Are Interdental Brushes?
Interdental brushes are designed for cleaning in between the teeth. Although brushing your teeth with a normal toothbrush does help to keep them clean, it’s not the most effective tool for getting rid of all of the plaque from the space between your teeth. Some people use floss for this task, but dental brushes for between teeth offer another option that can be helpful for more people. Interdental brushes are designed to get in between the teeth, with small bristles and a slimline shape. Unlike a standard toothbrush, they often don’t have a long handle, which gives you plenty of control.
Why Use Interdental Brushes?
Using an interdental brush improves your oral hygiene routine. It helps to improve your oral health and prevent a range of oral health problems. It can also help to give you better breath by cleaning your teeth more thoroughly. Toothbrushes are excellent for keeping your teeth clean, but they’re not designed for getting in between the teeth. Interdental brushes are made just for cleaning the interdental space, making them more effective. They gently clean in between the teeth and they’re flexible so you can slightly bend them into a curve if you need to.
Different Types of Interdental Brush
There are a few types of dental brush that you might want to explore. They come in different sizes and slightly different designs too. For example, some interdental brushes are angled and others have a straight handle to make it easier for you to reach all spaces and control what you’re doing. Angled interdental brushes can make it easier to reach the back teeth from both sides of the teeth. You can also buy holders for interdental brushes so that you can have a longer handle with interchangeable brushes.
Choosing the Right Size
Getting the right size for your interdental brushes is important. If they’re too big, you could struggle to use them and might hurt your teeth or gums. However, if they’re too small, they might not be effective for the larger gaps in your teeth. You don’t have to know which of the interdental brush sizes is right for you straight away. If you’re unsure what size to use, the best thing to do is to buy a pack of mixed size brushes. This will allow you to try some different sizes and find one that’s a comfortable fit. Your dentist, dental nurse or dental hygienist can help you to find the right size too. You might find that you require more than one size for cleaning between different teeth.
How to Use Your Interdental Brush
Using your interdental brushes in the right way will ensure you get more from them. When you have chosen the right size, make sure that you insert the brush gently between your teeth. You should carefully work it in, without forcing it, and choose a smaller size if it doesn’t fit. By moving the brush back and forth a few times, you can clean in between two teeth, and repeat the process for your other teeth too.
When you use an interspace brush between your back teeth, it can help to bend it slightly. Some of the smallest interdental brushes will have a soft neck that you can bend, and a large interdental brush might be more useful if you slightly bend the wire. You can use a dental floss brush once a day, preferably in the evening. Clean your teeth in front of a mirror so that you can see what you’re doing.
How Often Should You Replace Interdental Brushes?
Just like normal toothbrushes, interdental brushes don’t last forever. If you want them to continue to work well, you should replace them occasionally. Some experts say to change brushes as often as once a week. However, you probably won’t find a need to change them so often. You can use an interdental toothbrush until the bristles become worn or the wire is bent out of shape.
Add interdental brushes to your daily oral care routine and you can keep your mouth healthier than ever. See our range of interdental brushes here.
