Why is interdental cleaning so important? Brushing only removes bacterial plaque from 60% of the tooth surface and the remaining 40% accumulated in the spaces between teeth, causing cavities, halitosis, gum disease and periapical. When you shower, do you leave half of your body uncleaned?
So why don’t you do the same with the entire surface of your teeth?
Brushing removes bacterial plaque from the outer, inner and chewing surfaces of the teeth, which account for 60% of the tooth surface.
But it would be necessary to clean the spaces between the teeth, which represent 40%.
How do we do it?
Using, at least once a day, dental floss or an interdental brush (when the space between teeth is larger).
Nowadays no one dares to deny that brushing is necessary to keep teeth clean and healthy.
However, dental floss or interdental brushes are usually relegated to the category of extras.
And for example, the latest survey by the General Council of Dentists’ Associations of Spain on oral health (2015), which reveals that 34% of the Spanish adult population uses dental floss or floss and 18% uses an interdental brush, compared to 98% who use toothpaste or 64% mouthwash.
However, for a correct oral hygiene routine, brushing and flossing are non-negotiable.
The rest of the elements (toothpaste, mouthwash, etc.) are complementary.
What cleans our mouth is not the toothpaste, but the brush and the instrument used for interdental cleaning (either dental floss or interproximal brush).
Dry, since both the thread or silk and the filaments of the brush have the property of absorbing.
Toothpastes and mouthwashes are ways that dentists use to administer some extra beneficial substance to the patient, such as fluoride.
Consequence of lack of interdental cleaning Bacteria that accumulate between teeth are the main causes of tooth and gum problems.
Daily interdental cleaning helps remove plaque and debris that adhere between the teeth, as well as subgingival plaque, since the floss can – and should – be inserted a couple of millimeters below the gum.
Therefore, if we limit ourselves to brushing and skip interdental cleaning, we expose ourselves to the following problems:
##NUM##1.
Cavities.
80% of cavities are of interproximal origin (located on the tooth wall facing a neighboring tooth).
##NUM##2.
Gum diseases.
The bacterial plaque accumulated in the interdental area is the cause of periodontal diseases, which can manifest in the form of gingivitis or periodontitis.
##NUM##3.
Peri-implant diseases.
The same thing that happens with gum disease, the bacterial biofilm accumulated between implants is the cause of peri-implant diseases, that is, mucositis and peri-implantitis.
##NUM##4.
Halitosis.
In 90% of cases, the origin of bad breath is in the mouth and more than half of them are related to gum disease.