We’re not trying to convince you that you need to learn to brush your teeth! But as dentists, we find that very few people in our practice actually brush their teeth properly and thoroughly. Of course, the degree of decay depends on the position of the teeth, for example, if someone’s teeth are crowded, they will decay more easily because they are harder to clean. It is often the case that a patient with a beautiful, healthy-looking set of teeth, who presents for a check-up with no complaints, is found to have incipient or advanced decay between the molars. Such decay could be prevented if the person is aware of how effectively they brush their teeth and that a toothbrush is not enough, a toothbrush is also needed. Even after brushing with an electric toothbrush, food residues remain in the interdental spaces! However, it is a good idea to consult a professional to choose a toothbrush that is effective enough. So learning to brush your teeth is not compulsory, but recommended. With a small investment you can save huge amounts of money, pain and not least keep your teeth healthy and healthy!

Definitely YES! An electric toothbrush cleans a little differently than a traditional toothbrush. Even though modern electric toothbrushes now have pressure sensors, you still gain useful knowledge about your own brushing technique when you check where you have brushed thoroughly and incompletely after staining and brushing. On the other hand, electric toothbrushes cannot clean the surfaces between teeth! For these surfaces, a toothbrush or interdental toothbrush is required! Exactly which one and how thick is completely individual. Your dental hygienist will be able to help you decide which brand and thickness of toothbrush you need for thorough brushing. Thirdly, although the dental hygienist is not a dentist, he or she will also check your teeth during the education process. If she notices anything suspicious or abnormal, she will refer you to a dentist, so you are more likely to prevent dental disease. An electric toothbrush is a very good, thorough and useful tool, but he doesn’t know everything! It’s good to talk through your brushing habits with a professional and adjust them if necessary!

A tooth gap brush is like a tiny little bottle brush. It is also used to clean plaque from the interdental space. After brushing with both a traditional and an electric toothbrush, plaque remains in the interdental spaces! If you try brushing your teeth thoroughly and then sucking away a plaque staining tablet, you’ll be surprised how many places your teeth still have stains. Especially in the interdental area, which is the most dangerous area for tooth decay. 

The interdental spaces come in different sizes. Even within a single mouth, there are narrower and wider interdental spaces, depending on the location of the patient’s teeth and any restorations. The spacing is different for cleaning after orthodontic treatment, and different if there are crowns or bridges in the dentition, for example. The dental hygienist can easily select the right size of cleaning brush for you with a measuring tool and can also show you the right application.

In older age, even if you have brushed your teeth well, the gums will recede naturally. Accordingly, as the gum, no longer completely covers the root surface, a bulge develops under the largest convexity of the teeth. As the gingiva recedes, the cervical area is also concave, where plaque and plaque also adhere more easily. In older people, it is therefore particularly important to be aware of surfaces that are difficult to clean and to learn the techniques for cleaning these surfaces.