Interdental Brush vs. Floss: Which is Better?

Cons of flossing

• Difficult: Flossing can be difficult because it requires manoeuvring your hands inside your mouth and ensuring the floss reaches the right spots without harming your gums. If you have large or shaky hands, this can make flossing a struggle.
• Takes time: Properly flossing, reaching the gumline between each tooth, can be time-consuming. The effectiveness of your flossing relies on you reaching every spot. People often rush and diminish their efforts with improper technique.
• Discomfort: If you  use floss incorrectly, flossing can cause bleeding and discomfort by harming your gums. This can get better over time while you learn using floss, but some people continue to face mild discomfort for the long term. Wrapping floss tightly around the fingers can also be uncomfortable.
• Flossing with braces: Flossing can be hard to do with braces and wires or other orthodontic appliances. Leading to ineffective form or incomplete coverage.

Interdental brushes or rubber interdental picks

Interdental cleaners may not be as popular as traditional floss, but they are catching on as an effective flossing alternative. 

In patients suffering from gum diseases, interdental brushes are even more efficacious than floss in the interdental spaces created by the gum retraction. Many people love interdentals because they are easy to use and achieve a “cleaner” feeling compared to flossing.

Advantages of interdental cleaners

• Remove plaque: Interdental cleaners are highly effective at removing plaque and its bacteria from in between the teeth and along the gumline.
• Eliminate food remnants: Using an interdental cleaner can help you remove food between your teeth, which help bacteria to grow and can even cause halitosis.
• Prevent cavities: Like flossing, interdental cleaning helps prevent the formation of cavities, especially in areas that aren’t easily reached by your toothbrush.
• Keep away gingivitis: Like flossing, interdental cleaning helps to keep gingivitis and gum disease at bay.
• Easy to use: Interdental cleaners – sized to your preferences and to your interdental spaces – are extremely easy to use. They work as a tiny hand-held brush you move in and out between your teeth where you can pass an interdental cleaner (without forcing it in).
• Comfortable hold: Interdental cleaners have a tiny handle and sometimes a small pick at the end which makes them easy to hold and great at getting in between teeth.

Cons of interdental cleaners

• Learning curve: If you haven’t used interdental cleaners before, you may not know where to start in using them effectively. However, once you get it down, you may find it easier and faster than flossing.
• Discomfort: First-time interdental users can find the small interdental cleaners uncomfortable, especially if they are used to flossing and/or invest in the wrong size. It may be best to start small and work up to the right size for you. Being gentle is key. Never force a brush in.
• Reaching tight spaces: When teeth are tightly bunched together or you’re trying to reach an extremely small space, floss can sometimes be the best solution.
• Costs: Interdental cleaners can entail more up-front cost than a roll of floss, although the cleaners are reusable so they often end up providing better value in the long run.