Where your teeth touch is where Dr Ian Davis sees the most problems, and where a toothbrush can't reach. Why it matters, and his one tip that makes flossing stick.
Key points
- Brushing only reaches three of a tooth's five surfaces.
- Where teeth touch, especially at the back, is where most problems start.
- Decay there is hard to see and is often found when it is already large.
- Your dentist or hygienist can show you the right floss or interdental brush.
- Floss first, then brush. You'll always brush; you won't always floss.
Transcript
Hi, this is Ian Davis from BDS Dental, and I wanted to talk to you today about interdental cleaning.
Brushing our teeth has very much become part of our culture, but flossing is still catching up for many people. This is a great shame, because the area that you're missing without flossing is what I would call the danger area.
In general, the outer surfaces of our teeth are less likely to have problems, but where your teeth touch together, especially on our back teeth, that is where I see the most problems. These areas are often difficult to see and are often picked up when the hole is already very large, and this will increase the chance of you needing more complex dentistry, such as root canal treatment or crowns.
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So prevention is always the best way. It can be difficult to know exactly how to clean between your teeth, and that is where the guidance of your dentist and hygienist is really invaluable.
And finally, one of my number one tips is actually to floss first. I find many patients will brush their teeth and then they just can't be bothered to floss. But if you floss first, I find patients will always brush afterwards.
So this is Ian Davis from BDS Dental, where we want you to be dentally smart. Thank you very much.
