Oct 11, 2021
- minute readminutes read
How to Use an Interdental Brush: Tips and Best Practices
Interdental brushes are small, flexible brushes that are specially designed to easily fit between teeth to remove excess food and plaque. With soft, bristled heads, they can be a more comfortable and effective alternative to flossing.
But using an interdental brush comes with a bit of a learning curve if you have never used one before. That’s why we are sharing our best tips for how to use an interdental brush effectively to keep your gums happy and healthy.
Tips for using an interdental brush
There are a few reasons why people favour interdental brushes over the traditional dental floss. In fact, interdental brushing has proven effective at removing plaque and is an easy-to-use option for children as well.
Here are a few tips for using interdental brushes:
- Interdental brushes are best for when you have wide gaps between teeth where floss cannot effectively remove debris.
- Interdental brushes are helpful for those with retainers, dental bridges, or braces.
- Interdental brushes can help prevent plaque build-up around fillings, cavities, etc.
- An L-shaped interdental brush is most effective for cleaning between molars
How to use an interdental brush in 5 easy steps
Using an interdental brush is easy once you have the right handy tutorial. In this guide, we’ve included five simple steps for using an interdental brush even if you are a beginner!
1. Choose the right interdental brush
The first step to interdental brushing is to choose a brush that easily fits the spaces between your teeth. This may even mean buying different-sized brushes for different areas of your mouth (such as larger between molars and smaller between your front teeth).
You can find a range of interdental brushes to buy online.
2. Hold the brush comfortably
Hold the brush between your thumb and index finger, much like a pencil. This will make the brush easier to use with a more comfortable grip.
3. Brush gently in between teeth
Gently brush in between your teeth with a light back and forth motion, approximately 2-3 times. If the brush gets stuck, you may need a slightly smaller brush. When cleaning between molars, it may be helpful to brush from both the inside and outside. Use the interdental brush at least once per day before your usual brushing.
4. Focus on the hard-to-reach areas
Brush every gap between your teeth around your entire mouth. Pay special attention to the hard-to-reach areas.
5. Continue your daily oral care routine
Continue with your usual care routine using a soft-bristle toothbrush. You can then help stave off bacteria and plaque with a daily mouthwash.
Where to buy interdental brushes
Interdental brushes can be easily found at most chain grocery stores, pharmacies, and dentist offices. Additionally, you can find interdental brushes online through a variety of companies and resellers.
Sunstar GUM offers a line of interdental brushes with various sizes, colours, and comfort levels. Browse our interdental products page to see all options.
Interdental brushes FAQ
Have more questions about how to use an interdental brush? We are here to help! See our Frequently Asked Questions section below.
Not if you are using them properly. Interdental brushes have soft, flexible bristles that are strong enough to clean in between teeth but not strong enough to damage your gums with gentle brushing. However, be careful not to brush too hard or too quickly, as this can cause irritation.
Both interdental brushes and floss are effective for cleaning between the teeth. Ultimately it comes down to preference. Research has found that people may be more motivated to use an interdental brush due to ease of use. It should also be noted that interdental brushes are often more effective for those with braces or other dental appliances that make it difficult to reach the gums with floss.
Most dentists recommend using an interdental brush once per day before your usual brushing, but you may also use your interdental brush twice per day. It’s best to use your interdental brush after meals and before bed. If you have braces or other hardware, more brushing may be needed.
Interdental brushes support a strong oral care ritual
Cleaning between the teeth is a common area for people to fall short in their at-home oral care routine. To keep your mouth as healthy as possible, it’s important to find an interdental cleaning technique that you enjoy and stick with. The instructions above show how easy it is!
Related Articles
-
How to Choose Your Floss Flossing is very important to remove plaque and achieve better oral health. Find here some useful indications on how to choose the best floss for you.
-
How to Use an Interdental Brush: 5 Steps for Success Learn how to use an interdental brush for cleaning between your teeth and reaching tough areas around your gums, with five easy steps.
-
How to Floss Do you know how to floss properly? Our simple guide includes a video, step-by-step instructions and answers to some of the most common questions about flossing.
-
How to Clean Between Your Teeth Did you know that cleaning between your teeth every day is just as important as brushing? Find the right interdental cleaning solution using our simple guide.
-
How to Choose Your Interdental Cleaning between teeth, helps you remove plaque and achieve better oral health. Check here what features to look out to find the best interdental for you.
-
How to Floss with Braces: 4 Easy Ways to a Healthy Smile Learn effective techniques for flossing with braces, including traditional floss, water flossers, and interdental brushes. Maintain healthy teeth and gums during orthodontic treatment.
-
Why Should I Clean Between my Teeth? Cleaning between teeth helps get rid of plaque, bad breath, teeth decay, gum disease. Try GUM® interdental brushes or picks, they feel good and are easy to use.
-
Interdental Brushing: What Is It & Why Is It Effective Prevent gum disease, cavities, and more with interdental brushing an effective way to remove food, bacteria and plaque from between teeth. Learn more!
-
When and How Often Should You Floss? When to floss? How often should you floss and practice interdental cleaning? We’ve got the answers to guide you toward brilliant oral health.
-
Interdental Brush vs. Floss: Which One Should You Choose? Interdental brushes are great at cleaning in between teeth. But are they better than flossing? Here’s how to choose the right oral care solution for you.
-
Brushing Kids Teeth: How and When to Brush My Child’s Teeth How and when to brush my child's teeth: the most relevant questions and the answers for teaching the children about good oral care habits.
-
How Can I Get My Child to Adopt Good Brushing Habits? The foundations of a healthy mouth in adulthood are laid in the early years of life. Teaching children about good oral care habits is very important.
-
Oral Hygiene Routine - A Complete Checklist Oral care has a direct impact on overall health, that's why it's important to keep healthy gums with daily brushing, interdental cleaning and rinsing.
-
How to Choose a Toothpaste Choose the toothpaste that meets your specific oral health needs with this comprehensive guide to help you make the right choice.
-
How to Prevent Tooth Decay: 5 Tips for Oral Health Tooth decay can lead to cavities, gum disease, and other dental issues. Learn how to prevent tooth decay with great oral hygiene.
-
Different Brushing Techniques & The Right Toothbrush for Each Are you brushing your teeth improperly? Learn why brushing technique matters, and how you can find the right toothbrush to match your preferred style.
-
How to Brush Your Teeth Properly in 4 Easy Steps Wanting to improve your toothbrushing technique? Let us show you in 4 easy steps how to brush your way to healthier teeth and gums – and a healthier you.
-
How to Choose Your Toothbrush Find the perfect toothbrush for your dental needs. Compare manual vs. electric, bristle types, and head sizes. Includes expert tips for optimal oral care.
-
How Often Should You Change Your Toothbrush? Learn how often you should change your toothbrush for better oral hygiene and how to pick the perfect replacement.
