It might be difficult to decide which toothbrush, floss or tooth-cleaning aid to buy when browsing the oral hygiene section of any drug store. There are so many options and different products that it can make the buying experience overwhelming. Below is a breakdown of other oral hygiene products and their uses to make it easier to know what to buy the next time you are looking for oral hygiene products.
Manual Toothbrushes – Come in either super soft/soft/medium or hard. Use super soft if you know you are an aggressive brusher or have any signs of gum recession. Use a soft toothbrush in any other cases, and never use medium or hard. They are too aggressive and can damage the gums!
Electric Toothbrushes – Electric toothbrushes are a great way to take the guesswork out of brushing, as they do their job for you as long as you hold them correctly on your teeth/gums. Electric toothbrushes come in several shapes and sizes and offer different bonuses such as a pressure indicator light, timer, and self cleaner.
Manual Dental Floss – Manual floss comes in either waxed or un-waxed and can be minty or taste-free. Waxed floss is suitable for tight contacts and shreds less, but un-waxed floss is more absorbent.
Floss Sticks – Floss sticks make dental flossing a little bit easier and are also great for children and people with limited dexterity. Floss sticks have a handle attached, so you don’t have to put your hands in your mouth.
Water Floss – Water floss is a device used to shoot water in between teeth for cleaning, much like dental floss. Water floss helps to flush out contacts.
Proxabrush – A proxabrush is a brush that looks like a pipe cleaner used to clean out larger spaces between teeth that may be difficult to clean with a toothbrush or dental floss.
Sulcabrush – This is much like a toothbrush but with 1/3rd of the bristles to help clean areas that are difficult to access, such as behind the last molars.
Interdental Picks – These are good for cleaning spaces between teeth that are tight.
Rubber Tip Stimulator – This is a tool that is used to help reduce inflammation and help promote blood flow. The tip is used to massage the gums between teeth.
Tongue Cleaner – A tongue cleaner helps clean out the tongue’s top surface, which is rough and often harbours bacteria. Tongue cleaners either have bristles like a toothbrush or is a corrugated piece of plastic. Both are used to run along the tongue surface to scrape off the layer of bacteria.
Super Floss/ Floss Threaders – Both these products are used to slip floss between a contact that is blocked by either dental braces, a retainer or a bridge/appliance. They both have a stiff end that is easy to access between contacts.
If you have any questions about the right products and your specific needs, we encourage you to contact us today to schedule an appointment.