Interdenta Cleaning: Secret Dental Techniques

By Your Health Magazine

Be honest: How often do you clean between the teeth? We all tend to skip interdental cleaning sometimes, but plaque and food residues can lead to cavities and gum issues. If you struggle with maintaining thorough oral hygiene, knowing the methods and tools professional dentists use can spare you time and effort, making the process if not pleasant, then at least bearable. Stay until the end for actionable tips on how to clean between teeth!

3 Interdental Cleaning Methods to Add to Your Toothbrush

You might wonder why you should bother with additional dental devices if you clean your pearly whites daily with a decent toothbrush. If only it were so easy! A toothbrush can’t reach the surfaces where teeth adjoin. Even if you brush your teeth thoroughly, it cleans only nearly 60% of the tooth surface.

The bacteria in your mouth don’t lie dormant and feed on the food debris stuck between your teeth, producing plaque. When plaque sufficiently accumulates and is left intact, it can cause gingivitis, an inflammatory gum condition with nasty symptoms such as bleeding, sensitivity, and tooth decay. Thus cleaning between your teeth is crucial for your oral health in the longterm perspective.

1. Interdental Brushes

Interdental brushes resemble tiny bottle brushes, equipped with short or long handles. They are meant for wider surfaces between teeth and come in different sizes for effective cleaning.

Usage: Carefully place an interdental brush between teeth and gently move it, without applying extra pressure. Monitor the look of your interdental brush: when its bristles wear out or the wire starts to twist, replace it with a new one. Typically, this tool endures for 1-2 weeks.

2. Dental Floss

Dental floss is a short piece of thread-like material, recommended for use once in 24 hours. You should use it carefully so as not to harm your gums, which requires some knowledge and practice.

Usage: Place dentalfloss between teeth and carefully move it up and down. Avoid any sharp movements and take into account that the front teeth usually have smaller gaps than the back teeth. Remember that once used floss can transfer bacteria back into the mouth, so each time use a new piece of floss for utmost cleaning efficiency.

3. Oral Irrigators

An oral irrigator is a water flossing device that applies water jets to remove plaque between teeth and gently massage gums.

Usage: It’s best to use your water flosser before tooth brushing. Water jets will displace the food particles between your teeth, so you can effortlessly brush them out of the hard-to-reach places. Use low or medium water pressure to gently massage your gums.

Advantages of Regular Interdental Cleaning

If you make interdental cleaning a part of your daily routine, it will greatly contribute to your oral health, in particular, result in:

Better gum health. Using one of the three techniques mentioned above, you cut off the risks of gum inflammation and bleeding.
Fresh breath. Hidden food particles can cause bad breath, which might be handled by keeping interdental spaces clean.
Cavities prevention. Regular interdental cleaning lowers the risks of tooth decay.
Improved overall health. Since the mouth is the gate to your other physical organs, maintaining sufficient oral hygiene reduces the chances of systemic health issues and improves overall quality of life.

Extra Tips for Interdental Care

In addition to cleaning between your teeth, you can adhere to other measures to keep your tooth surfaces clean from all five sides:

Daily toothbrushing. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to thoroughly clean your teeth twice a day.
Alcohol-free mouthwash: Finish your daily oral hygiene by rinsing your oral cavity with a mouthwash with antiseptic properties. It can diminish bacteria in your mouth and freshen your breath.
Regular dental checkups. If you tried a professional dental cleaning at some point in your life, you know this pleasant sensation of “smoothly polished pebbles” inside your mouth. No interdental plaque can survive it — tested and verified.
Nutritious diet. A well-balanced diet, enriched with calcium and vitamin D strengthens tooth enamel and positively affects gum health.
Stress management techniques. Stress can cause bruxism and gum problems. Being assertive, keeping a positive attitude, and following other stress management tips can benefit our oral health.

Interproximal Cleaning: Indispensable for Dental Problems Prevention

By incorporating interdental cleaning into your daily care routine, you can reduce plaque buildup between your teeth and along the gumline, and prevent cavities and gum diseases. A toothbrush can’t reach these areas effectively, so using an interdental brush, dental floss, or oral irrigator is a great investment in long-term dental health.

Remember that prevention is better than cure, so taking time in the evening to clean between the teeth can save you money in the long run. If you want to settle on the best cleaning method for your teeth, visit vipdentalny.com and make an appointment with a qualified dentist to get a substantial consultation on your dental constitution.