Almost everyone brushes. Far fewer people clean between their teeth daily, and the usual reason is a reasonable one: it is not obvious what flossing adds if you are already brushing thoroughly.
The answer lies in simple geometry. Each tooth has five surfaces. A toothbrush reaches three of them. The two surfaces facing the neighbouring teeth are where a large share of adult decay and gum disease begins, and a brush cannot get there.
What Brushing Does
Brushing removes plaque from the outer, inner and chewing surfaces, and it delivers fluoride to the enamel.
That fluoride matters as much as the mechanical cleaning. It becomes incorporated into the tooth surface, making it more resistant to acid, and it supports the repair of early damage before a cavity forms. This is why we suggest spitting out rather than rinsing after brushing: rinsing washes away the concentrated fluoride that would otherwise keep working.
Two minutes, twice a day, with a soft brush angled towards the gum line. Scrubbing hard does not clean better, and over the years it wears enamel and contributes to gum recession.
What Cleaning Between Teeth Does
Interdental cleaning removes plaque from the two surfaces a brush cannot reach and from just below the gum line, where gum inflammation begins.
Plaque left undisturbed for a day or two starts to irritate the gum. Left longer, it hardens into tartar, which cannot be removed at home and which holds bacteria against the gum tissue continuously. Gingivitis develops, and in susceptible people it progresses to periodontitis, where the bone supporting the teeth is gradually lost. Once bone is gone, it does not come back.
Interdental cleaning is the single most effective thing you can do at home to prevent that sequence.
Choosing the Right Tool
- Floss works well where contacts are tight. Curve it into a C shape around each tooth and slide gently below the gum, rather than snapping it down.
- Interdental brushes are often more effective where there is any space between teeth, and many people find them easier. Size matters; we can help you identify which sizes fit your gaps.
- Floss picks are convenient and better than nothing, though they are harder to angle around each tooth properly.
- Water flossers suit people with bridges, implants, braces or limited dexterity.
The best tool is the one you will actually use every day.
What Each One Prevents
Decay Between Teeth
These cavities are invisible to you and often only found on an X-ray. By the time they are felt, they usually need a substantial white filling rather than a small one.
Gum Disease
Bleeding, swelling and eventually bone loss. Early gum disease is reversible with cleaning and professional care; advanced disease requires ongoing gum and periodontal treatment to manage. Gum disease has also been linked with general health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which is another reason to keep it under control.
Surface Stain
Plaque left on teeth picks up stain from coffee, tea and other foods, and once it hardens into tartar it discolours further. Removing plaque daily keeps teeth looking cleaner and brighter between professional cleans.
Bad Breath
A significant proportion of persistent bad breath comes from bacteria between the teeth and on the tongue.
Cost and Time
Prevention is cheaper and more comfortable than treatment, and it takes about three minutes a day.
Building the Habit
The usual reason people do not floss is not disagreement, it is forgetting. Practical fixes:
- Keep floss or interdental brushes where you will see them, not in a drawer
- Attach it to an existing habit, such as immediately after brushing at night
- Start with the teeth you find easiest and expand from there
- Keep interdental brushes in your bag or car for a two-minute window
- For children, start as soon as two teeth touch, and make it part of the routine early, as it is much harder to introduce at twelve
What Home Care Cannot Do
Once tartar has formed, brushing and flossing will not remove it, and the areas beneath it keep causing inflammation. A professional check-up and clean removes it and allows the examination that spots what you cannot see. Home care and your preventive care for adults are two halves of the same job.
Getting Children Started
Children who grow up cleaning between their teeth rarely find it a chore as adults. Begin as soon as two teeth touch, which is often around age two or three, and use floss picks or small interdental brushes that fit little hands and mouths.
Do it for them until they have the dexterity to manage alone, which is usually around age eight for brushing and later still for interdental cleaning. Treat it as part of the routine rather than an optional extra, and avoid framing it as a punishment for eating sweets.
Ask Us for a Demonstration
If you are unsure whether your technique is effective, ask at your next appointment. Ten minutes of practical demonstration often changes more than any amount of reading. Call Precision Dental on (07) 3852 1160 or book online.
