Interdental Brushes vs. Floss: Which is Better for Regular Oral Care?

Disclaimer: Not medical or professional advice. Always seek the advice of your physician.

Interdental Brushes vs. Floss

A regular toothbrush can only clean three surfaces of a tooth: the outer, inner and chewing surfaces. However, each tooth has five surfaces. There are several ways to clean the interdental spaces: oral irrigator, interdental brushes, and dental floss. If you forget to use these additional oral care devices, you fail to clean 40% of the tooth surface. Bacteria and food debris accumulate in the interdental spaces causing infection.

How to Clean the Interdental Spaces?

Each tooth has its own function. The incisors bite off the food, the canines break it into small pieces, the molars grind the food into mash so it can be efficiently digested in the stomach. As each tooth plays a different role in the chewing process, their shapes are different. Therefore, the interdental spaces also vary in size.

The front teeth — incisors and canines - have even spacings. The best cleaning solution is dental floss. The molars (teeth at the back of the mouth) have uneven intervals. In this case, dental floss is ineffective since it cleans the upper part of the teeth but cannot reach deeper.

An interdental brush has flexible bristles. It fits both narrow and wider interdental spaces. Therefore, dental floss is ideal for cleaning the front teeth, while brushes are perfect for the back teeth. Together, they perform three important functions.

Help remove food particles from hard-to-reach places.
Remove soft plaque, preventing the formation of caries, tartar and gingivitis. In most cases, if plaque is not removed at the right time, it will lead to tartar formation.
Eliminate bad breath caused by food stuck between the teeth.

How to Floss your Teeth Properly: a Step-by-step Guide

Pull off a length about the length of your arm — 18 to 24 inches. Wind most of the floss around both of your middle fingers. Leave only about 1 to 2 inches of floss for your teeth.
Gently glide the floss up and down as if you were trying to rub them.
Floss should glide smoothly between teeth. Proper flossing requires 5-8 movements. Use a fresh section of floss for each tooth.
As the floss reaches your gums, curve the floss at the base of the tooth to form a C shape. This allows the floss to enter the space between your gums and your tooth.
If you wear braces, then the process will be a bit more complicated. Your doctor will teach you how to properly clean the interdental spaces without damaging the locks.

How to Use Interdental Brushes: a Step-by-step Guide

The main rule is accuracy. You should not move the brush up and down the same way you use dental floss, as you can injure the gums.
Hold the brush perpendicular to the row of teeth.
Insert the brush into the tooth gap without pressure. It should easily pass through the gap and appear from the inside. If you find it difficult to clean between teeth you may need to choose a smaller size.
Remove the brush and rinse under running water.
Rinse your mouth.

How to Choose an Interdental Brush and Dental Floss

Types of Dental Floss

Silk floss — has good cleaning properties, but this type is expensive and easily broken. Therefore, there is no point in buying them.
Nylon floss — as elastic as silk, but cheaper.
Acetate floss — the fiber is elastic, sustainable, the structure is similar to silk.
Capron floss — this type has high strength but a rough structure.
Teflon floss — provides gentle dental care without damaging the gums. It is also prone to shredding or breaking. The main feature is its smooth ribbon form. It is suitable for the narrowest interdental spaces.

The Texture of The Dental Floss Can Also be Different

Waxed — floss is covered with a layer of wax, making it easier to slide into hard-to-reach places. Suitable for children, beginners and people with a large number of fillings.
Unwaxed — it has a more abrasive texture that cleans food particles more easily and covers most of the tooth surface.

Dental Floss Shapes

round
flat (tape)
expanding
superfloss

Doctors at Dental World will help you choose the right floss according to the position of your teeth, the width of the interdental spaces and the presence of dentures or orthodontic appliances in your mouth.

Types of Interdental Brushes

Cylindrical shape. They have all the bristles the same length and aligned neatly along the base. This type easily gets the food particles out of the teeth.
Conical shape. The bristles become shorter towards the tip of the brush. They provide deep cleaning in interdental gaps of different sizes.
Curved interdental brushes. They are ideal for people with braces. Its design allows to clean areas that are inaccessible with regular brushing (for example, under the archwire of braces, in the gaps between crowns).
With long or short bristles. It is better to buy brushes with short bristles for narrow gaps. While long bristles are suitable for cleaning orthodontic appliances.
Hard and soft bristles. Soft ones are suitable for children or patients with sensitive gums.

Floss First or Brush First?

There is no consensus regarding this topic among dentists. Some specialists believe that the best way is to remove most of the plaque with a toothbrush, then use dental floss to get rid of all remaining food particles. Others suggest that flossing before brushing is more effective. The point is you can clean off the fluoride that remains on the teeth after using toothpaste. This element helps prevent decay. However, in general, the same dental associations recommend choosing the most suitable option. After all, it is better to use dental floss or interdental brushes than not to use them at all.

Why do the Gums Bleed after Using an Interdental Brush or Dental Floss?

It is normal to notice bleeding when you first start to use an interdental brush or dental floss for the first two weeks. Plaque attaches not only to your teeth but also to the gums. Therefore, plaque removal can cause injuries to the mucous membrane. If the bleeding continues for more than two weeks, seek help from your hygienist. You might floss incorrectly or have inflamed gums.

Are there any Alternative Options?

Yes, there are. If you don't like regular dental floss, you can try a flosser, a plastic stick with a short length of dental floss. Using flossers is easier as you do not need to wrap the floss around your fingers. The floss is rigidly fixed in the holder.
An oral irrigator (water flosser) is not an alternative but an additional hygiene device. The main tasks are to remove soft plaque from the interdental spaces and gum pockets, as well as massage the gums. This device, unlike dental floss and interdental brushes, is not able to remove hardened plaque.

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