Floss Sticks | Dental floss

Floss Sticks

To clean the interdental spaces (interdental spaces) a cleaning stick can be used in addition to the usual dental floss. These sticks consist of a handle with a piece of dental floss about two to 5 cm long already clamped. These interdental space cleaning aids offer the advantage that many patients prefer them because they are easier to handle.

The disadvantage of floss sticks is that they are much more expensive than normal dental floss. This can be attributed to the fact that the production of the handle is complex and also expensive. In addition, you can only use a dental floss stick once, as soon as the silk thread is dirty a new stick must be used immediately.

The ordinary dental floss can be used on much more interdental spaces, because a soiled section can be replaced directly by moving it. Whether the use of the dental floss sticks or the use of normal dental floss for interdental space care is more effective and more thorough cannot be answered directly. The opinions of dentists differ widely on this question.

In the end, the preference of the user should decide which aid is used. For patients with retainers, however, it is not possible to use the dental floss sticks, as they cannot be inserted into the interdental space past the stabilizing wire. For this group of patients so-called interdental space brushes (interdental space brushes) are an ideal alternative to dental floss.

These brushes are produced in several forms (straight, fir tree…) and are becoming more and more popular. The reason for this is that they are much easier to handle than floss. Moreover, due to the wide range of diameters of brush heads offered, interdental space brushes are suitable for both very narrow and very wide spaces between teeth. Especially patients whose dentition is equipped with crowns and/or bridges should seriously consider switching to interdental brushes.

What are the alternatives to flossing?

For patients who cannot cope with floss, there are other products that are easier to use. Primarily, dental floss sticks, in which dental floss is attached to a plastic shaft, should be mentioned. This shaft makes it easier to insert the floss between the teeth.

Flossing sticks are disposable products and should be thrown away like dental floss after use in the oral cavity.Furthermore, there are interdental brushes, which are available in different sizes for the respective width of the interdental space. The brushes are inserted into the interdental areas from the outside and remove remaining food residues. They can be used several times as they are also dishwasher safe.

Another alternative is the electric oral irrigator, in which the pressure forces of individual water jets clean the interdental spaces. As the only form of cleaning, the oral douche cannot replace the use of dental floss or interdental brushes, but only supports them additionally, since it does not clean the interdental spaces as efficiently. Users need to find out which aid is best for them and which form of application seems the most suitable and easiest for them. Toothpicks are generally not recommended because they are usually too large for the interdental spaces and can easily be pressed even deeper into the pocket. Furthermore, the risk of injury with this aid is relatively high due to the pointed ends.