What’s the best way to clean between your teeth?

DETROIT – What is the best way to clean between your teeth? This includes flossing, using an interdental brush or forceps, or using a WaterPik. I really want to make this clear because what I am doing is not following the recommendations of the American Dental Societies. Here’s the problem: biofilm naturally forms on and between teeth. This biofilm is a thin layer of mucus made up of bacteria, food debris and other components. The only truly effective way to remove biofilm is through direct mechanical abrasion. When we brush our teeth, the outer surfaces are subject to direct abrasion, but the spaces between the teeth are not. Therefore, we need to specifically clean the interdental spaces. According to Dr. Joseph Nemeth, a periodontist in Southfield, if you don’t floss, you’ll be cutting years off your life due to gum inflammation.

Dental floss is very effective and is recommended by the American Dental Association for cleaning between teeth. I will say this: if you know how to floss correctly and do it regularly, you should definitely continue to floss. According to Dr. Nemeth, when you floss, you should wrap the floss around the tooth and gently move it up and down to just below the gum line to remove biofilm and any plaque, doing this on both sides of the space between the teeth. You must be sure to reach all the spaces between all the teeth. When it comes to choosing a thread, he recommends using the one that is most comfortable and convenient for you.

Personally, I find flossing to be tedious and to do it correctly, so I researched alternatives. As it happens, there is significant research into the primary alternative to floss: the interdental brush or forceps. These small, reusable brushes glide between teeth and remove debris and, most importantly, slimy biofilm. They bend and allow you to reach all teeth, even the back ones. And the most important thing for me is that they are easy to use and very portable, you can use them even after lunch, for example. The research into their effectiveness is so compelling that the British Society of Periodontology and other European agencies recommend using interdental brushes instead of floss. I know people here may joke about British teeth, but there is good science behind this recommendation nonetheless.

Now we need to turn to WaterPik. I love mine and can’t live without it. Every time I use it, even after cleaning it thoroughly, it still flushes out debris and food particles. The most important thing that the WaterPik does that floss and interdental forceps do not is not only clean between the teeth, but also irrigate the pockets between the gums and the base of the teeth. This is another area where food and debris can accumulate. Not everyone has deep pockets, which means their gums are nice and tight to the base of their teeth, but depending on your genetics and how well you took care of your teeth when you were young, many people develop deeper pockets as they age pockets. This is where WaterPik excels. I want to be clear here: WaterPik alone will not remove biofilm between teeth. This is inadequate direct mechanical abrasion, and the WaterPik should not be your only method of cleaning between teeth.

TL;DR: floss if you can do it right, use an interdental pick or brush if you don’t floss, and use a water brush if you have deep pockets and get joy like me from seeing the removal extra garbage. out.