Inter-dental Cleaning Options – Advice From Your Local Dentist

Keep the gaps between your teeth clean with flossing or inter-dental brushing.

It is accepted by most people that regular cleaning of your teeth is essential if you want to have healthy teeth and gums. Whilst most people do perform this task twice a day, either with a manual or electric toothbrush, far fewer of us, an estimated one in five, use any other additional method in order to clean in the gaps between our teeth.

Whilst tiny particles of food, and bacteria, may stick to the front surface of our teeth, it will probably come as no surprise to know that some will also become trapped in the spaces between our teeth where it is difficult to reach.

Consequences

Failure to keep these spaces clean is likely to lead to problems; the two most common being dental decay and gum disease. As the acids in the trapped food breaks down the enamel, exposing the softer dentine layer, our teeth will start to decay and will require, at the very least, a filling, to restore them.

Gum disease, whilst exhibiting relatively mild symptoms initially, can have serious consequences later on if periodontitis takes hold. This advanced stage of gum disease leads not only to painful and inflamed gums, but also attacks the bone in the jaw which hold the teeth in position. As this weakens, the teeth start to move around and become loose, eventually causing them to fall out unless caught in time and treated.

Prevention

Although the consequences of not cleaning between the teeth are potentially serious, prevention is actually relatively easy. There are three self cleaning methods which can be used. These are:

• Dental floss – Despite a few recent newspaper articles, this is still an effective way of cleaning between your teeth, and the gum line, if done correctly. Many people use a ‘sawing’ motion, but this is not very effective. A gentle side to side motion between the teeth is all that is required to remove food and bacteria.
• Interdental brushes – These are gaining in popularity as an alternative to floss and can be purchased from the reception area at our Bedford dental practice. This is a simple method of interdental cleaning.
• Water piks – This is a newer method which involves blasting fine jets of water between the teeth. The jury is still out as to the effectiveness of this method, but our opinion is that the above two methods are preferable; however using this latter method is better than none at all. Some people also find it messy and uncomfortable to use but this is obviously down to personal taste.

In addition to your home cleaning regimen, you should also attend The Dental Centre Bedford on a regular basis for your hygienist appointments. Whilst home cleaning is essential, some bacteria almost inevitably will find its way into places that you struggle to reach. Over time, this hardens into a form known as tartar or calculus which can only be fully removed with a thorough dental clean from our hygienist.

To keep your teeth and gums healthy does require a little extra effort, but is certainly worth it if you want to help maintain a healthy mouth and avoid invasive dental procedures.

To arrange an appointment with our Bedford hygienist, or to discuss any oral health problems you may be having, please call The Dental Centre Bedford on 01234 819868.