Teeth and ears

Interdental Teeth Cleaning: Flossing, toothpicks, interdental brushes

In addition to brushing the teeth, it is also necessary to clean the spaces between the teeth daily (“interdental” cleaning) to remove food residues and especially plaque. Plaque on the teeth and molars causes cavities and gingivitis.

Depending on the space between the teeth, you can distinguish three different ways:

little space : dosing (dental floss or dental tape)
a little space : toothpicks
various spaces : interdental brushes or ragers

Flossing

Floss is dental thread, with or without a layer of wax. ‘Washed’ floss slides more easily between the teeth and unravels less; ‘unwashed’ floss takes more plaque with it. There are many variations: the regular thin floss, the ribbon-shaped ‘tape’ and the thick super floss.

Take a piece of wire about 40 cm coiled on both middle fingers and hold about 5 cm of this tightly between the thumbs and/or index fingers.
Pass the taut wire through the point of contact between the teeth with a sawing (back and forth) motion. Carefully move between the tooth contact point and the gumline. Bend the wire toward the gums. Return to the contact point with a sawing motion. Back and forth movements prevent the wire from shooting between the teeth with too much force and damaging the gums. Then release the wire at one end and pull it sideways between the teeth.
Repeat between all other teeth.
The gums should not hurt during ﬂossing.

Toothpicks

Where there is sufficient space between the teeth for the use of toothpicks, they are preferred over floss.Very narrow toothpicks are now available so that even smaller spaces between the teeth can also be cleaned with toothpicks.

A good toothpick is triangular in shape, has a flat, narrow bottom and ends in a point. It is made of a soft type of wood. A cocktail stick or a plastic toothpick one is not a good toothpick.

Before using toothpicks, it is advisable to wet them with saliva first. The toothpick then becomes more flexible and breaks less quickly.
Hold the toothpick between thumb and forefinger close to the tip.
Between the triangular spaces between the teeth, move so that the flat side of the toothpick is facing the tooth flesh. Move the toothpick horizontally from the outside to the inside a few times.

Interdental brushes or brushes

Interdental brushes or ragers are suitable for cleaning somewhat larger interdental gaps and between crooked or tipped teeth.

They come in different shapes and thicknesses. To properly remove plaque, the brush must pass between the teeth with some effort. Therefore, the larger the space between the teeth, the larger the brush. There are also ragers that are tapered. With these ragers, spaces of different sizes can be cleaned. There are both loose ragers and ragers with handles for sale. There is also an electric inter-dental brush with a moving wire.

Move the bristles between the free spaces of the teeth so that the brush encounters light resistance. Move the rager horizontally back and forth (from outside to inside) a few times.
Do this a few times per space and between all teeth.
Rinse the brush, dry it and reuse it a few times until the bristles are less thick.

Rinse

Mouthwashes are used as a supplement to brushing your teeth. They cannot replace brushing. In case of gingivitis, your dentist can prescribe a Chlorhexidine-based mouthwash. Chlorhexidine must be used for a sufficient long time to be effective: rinsing for one minute is ideal. After brushing, it is best to wait half an hour before rinsing with a Chlorhexidine solution. However, with regular use, it can cause discoloration of the teeth, a bad taste and burning mucous membranes.

Therefore, it is best to use these products only on the advice of your dentist.

Source: Gezondheid.be

Do ears need to be cleaned?

Many people mistakenly think they need to clean their ears regularly and remove the ‘dirty’ earwax. Nothing could be further from the truth. That earwax has several functions. It protects the ear against moisture (water repellency), against dehydration, against bacteria and fungi and against dirt (for example: dust, insects). Earwax is therefore necessary.

The excess wax is normally removed automatically from the ear canal. Normal body hygiene (e.g. cleaning the auricle with a washcloth) is sufficient to remove the hardened residues. A cotton swab can be used if necessary. However, there is a risk that you go too deep into the ear with such a swab and push the wax inside where it can accumulate. Moreover, this stimulates the production of earwax, which can disturb the balance between the production and removal of earwax. This can eventually lead to an ear clog. For this reason, the use of cotton swabs is often discouraged. If you do use them, clean only the outer part of the ear. As a guideline, the entire cotton puff should always remain visible.

Certainly do not use a ballpoint pen, hairpin, match, paper clip or toothpick to clean the ears. This can damage the sensitive skin in the ear canal.