Floss and Interproximal Brush Reviews
I have only one overriding criteria when trying new types of floss and flossing products. Does it make flossing easy? You can get really technical with all the different types of floss and products but in the end it really comes down to whether you’ll use it or not. If a product is difficult to use, you won’t use it. Because of that I’ve entirely ruled out any type of floss that is unwaxed or shreds easily. While these types of floss may clean slightly better (because they catch on everything!) it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the overall health of your gums. A lot of the cheap types of floss at the store fall into this category. Floss is pretty inexpensive anyway so please don’t skimp and get a terrible product!
Regular String Floss
Glide floss is easy to pop in and out and usually doesn’t shred. This product is so easy to use that I can literally floss all my teeth in twenty seconds flat.
Same story for Reach Total Care floss.
Disposable Flossers
Some people aren’t quite coordinated enough to use string floss effectively so they turn to disposable flossers. These products have floss attached to a handle that makes it easy to get back to those hard to reach spots. If you’re one of those people, this is the brand of disposable flossers I recommend. Use it once and then throw it away.
Products to Use with Braces
Braces are a whole other challenge when trying to keep your teeth clean. If you’re dead set on using string floss I recommend buying Superfloss. It has a rigid section at the end that you can use to thread under your braces. You can also trying using floss threaders with regular floss but I find that this is a much easier solution (see my rule #1!). Otherwise, see the section below on using Waterpiks or an Airflosser to get a much better and quicker clean.
Interproximal Brushes for Large Spaces or Braces
If you’ve got large spaces in between your teeth or braces, interproximal brushes are going to help clean those areas much better. Again, I like this product because it is easy to use. There are several other similar products but many of them require you to buy a specific handle and refills for it. This one is all in one.
Electronic Products
If you can afford to buy a electronic cleaning product I would highly recommend it, especially if you have braces or have had significant dental work in the past. These products work at least as well as regular floss and in some cases do much better. They are also extremely easy to use in case you have limited dexterity in your hands.
A Waterpik works by shooting a jet of water out of it’s tip. It is extremely useful for cleaning into between teeth, under bridges, around braces and just about everywhere else.
The Airfloss works very similarly to the Waterpik. It works great for cleaning in between teeth and can replace regular floss. There have been some concerns about it’s durability as compared to the Waterpik.
