The Best Ways to Clean Between Your Teeth

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When it comes to good oral hygiene, you may think that brushing and using mouth rinse gets the job done. But teeth have five sides, and brushing only cleans three. Cleaning in-between the teeth is vital – to remove food particles and bacteria that get ‘trapped’ in the interdental spaces between your teeth. If you don’t clean between your teeth you are not alone. Research indicates only a third of South Africans floss or clean in-between regularly.

Here’s expert advice to help you floss like a boss and maintain a healthy mouth and fresh breath.
4 Reasons to clean between the teeth

Healthy gums: if not removed, plaque can build up between the teeth and irritate the gums, eventually causing gum disease. If your gums bleed when you floss, you may already have gum disease. This means it’s more important than ever to clean your teeth and gums correctly. And if you do have bleeding gums it’s probably a good idea to see your dental professional.

Fresh breath: for a truly clean mouth you have to ace that space. If you don’t remove plaque and food debris between the teeth, they can cause bad breath (aka halitosis). Want proof? Pull a piece of dental floss between two teeth at the back of your mouth, then sniff the floss. If you don’t usually clean in-between, it won’t smell very good – just like your breath.

Cavity protection: dental professionals say that most decay begins between the teeth. Cleaning the interproximal spaces between your teeth helps prevent cavities and tooth decay.

Better health: poor oral health has been linked to many serious diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and pre-term, and low-birthweight babies. Taking good care of your mouth is good for your whole body’s health.

If you want a healthy mouth and fresh breath you do need to clean between your teeth. Dental professionals recommend cleaning the teeth every day as part of an effective oral hygiene routine. For healthy smiles think 1, 2, 3 – brush correctly twice a day, clean in-between once a day, and rinse for extra fresh breath confidence.

Children should clean in-between once their teeth begin to touch one another. This is often around the time their permanent teeth appear. Flossing can be a little awkward for younger children, but there are a variety of interdental tools that are easier to handle, such as Sunstar GUM Easy-Flossers that have floss on a tiny handle. By starting young you will help your children develop good oral care habits for life.

Easy ways to clean between your teeth

If you are not comfortable with flossing, don’t despair. With the right tools, cleaning in-between will be quick and easy, and efficiently remove plaque and food debris stuck in between your teeth. There is a wide variety of interdental tools available these days, sold at dentists, pharmacies, and even the local supermarket.

You’re bound to find something you fall in love with. Whether you floss like a boss, love the rush of an interdental brush, or enjoy a quick pick. If you’re not confident which size or type of interdental tool is right for your mouth, ask your dentist or oral hygienist – they will be very happy to help guide you on your interdental journey.

How to floss like a boss

Traditional floss is a popular and effective way to clean in-between when used correctly. Unfortunately, experts say that most people don’t have a good flossing technique.

Here’s how to ‘floss like a boss’ for a clean, fresh, healthy mouth:
  1. Take about 30cm of floss
  2. Wind the floss around your middle fingers
  3. Hold the floss between your thumbs and index fingers
  4. Slide the floss in between teeth using a gentle back-and-forth sawing action
  5. Fold floss around the side of a tooth in a C-shape
  6. Slide the floss up and down, against the tooth and just under the gum line
  7. Repeat on the neighbouring tooth
  8. Pull out and repeat using a clean section of the floss
The best time to clean between the teeth

According to dental professionals, it doesn’t matter if you clean in-between in the morning or night. The main thing is that you do it – choose a time that suits you best. With the correct tools, it will only take a minute or two to ace that space.

Brush or floss first? The jury is out and it doesn’t seem to matter. In the 2019 Oral Health Routine Survey of 222 South African dental professionals, about half said brush first, and the other half said floss. What they did agree on unanimously is that patients should clean in-between every day.

Oral care tip: floss first and you’ll see the evidence of what’s removed more easily. This will encourage you to continue to clean in between. 

For more information, please visit Ivohealth News here.