Tepe Interdental Brushes > Reviews (7)

As a student studying to be a dentist, I can not sufficiently stress how important it is to clean interdentally! I think my family and fiancé can vouch for that because more often than not, you'll find me telling them off for poor hygiene habits. Tut tut!

-- Why do I need to clean interdentally? --

The problem with ordinary brushing is that there is no way the bristles of the toothbrush can get access interdentally, (i.e. in between your teeth), even if you try to force them to! During the day, the level of plaque in our mouth will increase and so will the number of bacteria. This bacteria can then not only cause tooth decay but it can also lead to Gingivitis (inflammation on the gums), which, if not treated can lead to Periodontitis (inflammation of the bone that surrounds teeth), which will cause tooth loss! Oh No! Ordinary tooth brushing will remove the majority of plaque in the mouth, however, there will still be a significant amount remaining interdentally.

A lot of people actually suffer from Gingivitis but are not necessarily aware that they do. If your teeth bleed when you brush, then you suffer from gingivitis!

-- DO NOT FEAR! --

Fortunately, Gingivitis is a reversible disease. That means, you can go back to having healthy gums that do not bleed. However, if left untreated, Gingivitis will progress in to Periodontitis which unfortunately is irreversible.

-- What can I do to save my gums? --

CLEAN INTERDENTALLY! This can be done in two ways:
1) Floss
2) Use Interdental Brushes.

-- Tepe Interdental Brushes --

TePe designs, manufactures and sells oral health products and was founded in 1965, in Sweden. Tepe Interdental brushes are ideal for those who have larger gaps in between their teeth or those who find flossing absolutely a nightmare. The beauty about these is that they are hand held and come in many sizes ranging from 0.4mm to 1.3mm which all have a specific colour: Pink 0.4mm, Gold 0.45 mm, Red 0.5 mm, Blue 0.6 mm, Yellow 0.7 mm, Green 0.8 mm, Purple 1.1 mm and finally Grey 1.3 mm.

-- How do I use them? --

I would first advise that you seek dental advice to help find the correct size. Some people have different sized spacing in different areas of their mouth and in those cases, more than one set of brushes will be needed.

- For the front teeth, insert the brushes in the space between the teeth at the level of the gums
- Once inserted, gently move the brush back and forth to remove the plaque and debris interdentally.
- For the back of the mouth, access may be improved by first curving the brush slightly and them gently pushing it in the space between the teeth at the level of the gums. Becarefule when bending the brushes because excess force and continous bending can cause the bushes to break (especially the smaller sizes) and thus may cause injury.
- The brush can also be dipped in some mouthwash before it is inserted interdentally to aid cleaning.
- When finished, the brush can be washed with water and then covered using the cap provided. * There is no cap in the pack of the grey brush 1.

3 mm as the bristles are too long
It is recommended to use these cleaning aids on a daily basis and to change the brush once a week or when the bristles become worn.

* Please be aware that you must not force the brush in to the spaces in between your teeth as you can cause damage to your gums if you do so!

-- Don't worry, I won't leave you with out telling you where to get these Gingivitis preventing brushes! --

Interdental brushes can be found in most dental practises so next time your on your dreaded journey to the dentist (seriously, we're not that bad!) ask him/her, they'll be well impressed with yor motivation! Also you can find them at Boots and Superdrug and in some supermarkets in the dental isles. Please note that there are other brands of interdental brushes so if you are going to buy something different make sure they come in sizes and mention to your dentist which brand you are using to ensure they are safe.

Oh yes, I must not forget, they are a little pricey but not as pricey as the dentist! They cost around £3.00 for a pack of 8 brushes.

I think I've said enough about these amazing brushes, I'll go back to harassing my family! Go on, get yourself some interdental brushes and say goodbye to bleeding gums! SMILE!