We all know that a white bright smile is this seasons hottest look. Many of us find flossing a difficult task yet cleaning in between the teeth is absolutely critical to prevent gum disease and tooth decay as well as keeping our smile looking its best. So what are the alternatives to floss that a dentist would recommend?
Fraser Hendrie a dentist in Edinburgh with nearly 15 years of experience writes?
Floss is still a great way of cleaning between teeth, but if you need an alternative why not try one of the following. As always ask your dentist or hygienist for their advice on the best way to maintain a healthy beautiful smile.
?Bottle Brushes ? these unflatteringly named devices are little miniature brushes that can fit in between most peoples teeth. They allow you to manually clean the bits that a regular toothbrush won't reach. They come in a variety of sizes and are fairly easy to use.?
Best for ? patients who have had some gum disease in the past or who have teeth that are not very crowded. Ideal for clearing round big fillings or for older patients who want to keep a healthy white smile.
Worst for people with very healthy gums or crowded teeth as often enough space to feed the brushes through does not exist.
The Interflosser - This is a device with a toothbrush style handle with a small replaceable bow at one end. The bow has a short piece of floss across it and is attached to the handle in such a way as to allow you to keep the back teeth healthy without having to master the intricacies of holding floss the right way or fitting half your hand to the back of your mouth.
Best for ? patients with tight contacts between their teeth who find the manual dexterity required first thing in the morning or last thing at night is just too much for them/
Worst for ? patients with big spaces between their teeth. This device is not suited to cleaning large spaces
Toothpicks ? an old tried and tested method of cleaning in between the teeth. The major risk with a toothpick is that you will skewer your gum. They do not clean adequately all the way between the teeth so on the whole are best avoided except in emergencies.
If you must choose, toothpicks try to buy the softer plastic variety rather than the wooden ones as these are generally kinder to the gums.
John Booth a cosmetic dentist in Edinburgh says, ?It is generally considered better to preserve the smile that you have with great home care than to rely on a dentist to correct problems after they occur. Most good cosmetic dentists will always want you to have healthy and well cared for teeth before they consider any tooth whitening or smile makeover options. ?
