We get this question asked a lot. We grow up knowing the phrase brush twice a day, every day, but not many know about why and how to clean in between our teeth. Having said that, we have seen people pick food out of their teeth with toothpicks. But there are many more effective ways of removing food debris and plaque from teeth and under the gum line, so let’s talk about that today.
Interdental brushing
All of us have heard about flossing; that’s just one way of cleaning between teeth; interdental brushes and oral irrigators are the other two. Dentists and hygienists don’t recommend using toothpicks because of the hard nature of wood, which might traumatise your gums in the long run and leave unsightly gaps between your teeth.
Interdental brushes In my humble opinion, they are the best way, and I always recommend them. They come in all sizes and shapes, and it is important to use the correct size for effective cleaning. If the brush is too small, it won’t remove all debris, and on the other hand, if it is too big, it will splay and can hurt if you try to squeeze it through a smaller gap. Ask your dentist and hygienist about the best brand and size for your gums and teeth. You might have to use different ones in different parts of your mouth, so be ready for that.
Technique: hold the interdental brush between your thumb and forefinger. Gently place the brush through the gap between your teeth and move it back and forth like a mini bottle brush to remove bits from the teeth and gums. Wash the brush; they are reusable a few times and are an investment that will save you loads of unwanted trips to the hygienist.
If you have severely crowded teeth, overlapping teeth or tight spaces, you might not be able to use interdental brushes between them; in that case, use floss or tape. If that is not possible, it is an indication that your teeth are too crowded, and the accumulated plaque over the years leaves you at risk of developing gum disease (periodontitis). The solution for that is to have orthodontic treatment or dental braces to relieve the crowding. Once your teeth are straight, you will be able to easily clean in between them and reduce the risk of developing gum disease.
You can have fixed braces, either metal or ceramic, in Inman Aligner or Invisalign® to correct this. Short-term braces such as six months smiles, Damon braces, and quick straight teeth are all capable of fixing this problem.
Flossing with dental floss or dental tape
We all are familiar with flossing and also the floss dance 😉 but not many know how to floss correctly and effectively.
Technique: Break off about 30 cm of floss or tape and wind some around one finger of each hand; hold it tightly between your thumb and forefinger with about 4cm of floss between them, leaving no slack. Use a gentle rocking motion to guide the floss between your teeth. Do not jerk the floss or snap the floss into the gums. When it reaches the gum curve, it turns into a C against one tooth and scrapes the side of the tooth, moving away from the gum. Repeat on the other side of the gap along the side of the other tooth. Don’t forget the back of your last tooth
When flossing, keep to a regular pattern. Start at one side of the mouth and go to the opposite side, then move to the opposite arch and repeat. In this way, you are unlikely to miss any teeth.
Oral Irrigators
Oral irrigators use a jet of water to force plaque and food debris away from your teeth. They are particularly useful if you have larger spaces between your teeth or are having orthodontic treatment and have brackets and wires on your teeth. They are also helpful in removing plaque from under fixed bridges and around crowns. They are also useful if you struggle to use interdental brushes. Examples of oral irrigators are Waterpik and air floss. These are rechargeable, so try to get one that is cordless for ease. If in doubt, ask your dentist or hygienist.
If food bits stay in between your teeth which a normal brush doesn’t remove, they will stay there and rot, which can lead to dental caries and gum disease. If you visit your hygienist regularly, then you might get away with missing it, but not if you are too busy and find it hard to make appointments with your hygienist.
If you have been diagnosed with gum disease, then it’s an absolute must to use one of the methods mentioned above. That’ll keep the problem under control and also means fewer trips to the hygienist. Gum disease has active and passive phases, so once it is treated and stabilised, it can recur. That is why it is important to stay on top of plaque control, and interdental cleaning is the best way.
Food debris and plaque remaining between teeth also cause embarrassing halitosis, i.e., bad breath. Who wants bad breath? No one! so get those brushes and floss in there and have a clean mouth and fresh breath to stay confident all day long.
If this triggers any questions, book an appointment with Phil, our hygienist, who will be more than happy to help, so contact us. Love and care for now, and I’ll talk to you next week. Aisha
BACK TO BLOGTo speak with a member of our team to arrange or cancel an appointment or to make an enquiry as a new or existing patient, please get in touch.
Implants, demystified.
Our fourth South Manchester Study Club session is an open evening on implants with Dr Jihad Kader — MSc Dental Implantology, trained under Buser, Zucchelli and Jovanovic.
Dr Jk takes it from the ground up: the components, the terminology, the workflow, and his own route into implants — how he started and what he wishes he’d known at the beginning.
For any dentist looking to place, or referring now and wanting to understand what happens next.
Friday 7 August · 6pm to 8pm · Verifiable CPD · Free · Food and drinks on the night
DM us the word IMPLANTS and we’ll send you the registration link.
Know a colleague who’s been circling implants for a while? Send this to them.
#dentalcpd #dentalimplants #manchesterdentist
📸💕Just a few of our favourite selfies from our gorgeous girlies
A little appreciation post for our lovely patients — we love seeing you feeling confident, glowing and showing off those beautiful smiles 🩷✨
Thank you for trusting us with your smile journeys and allowing us to be part of them 🥹💕
If you’re ready to love your smile as much as these girls do, drop us a DM or get in touch using the details below ✨
☎️ 0161 969 7464
📲 WhatsApp: 07747688767
📧 reception@saledentalspa.co.uk
✨ @invisalign, @boutiquewhitening_ and composite veneers
👩🏽⚕️Treatment by @smiles.by.dr.aisha
We already know this one’s stopping the scroll… 👀
✨ The Ultimate Smile Makeover ✨
When @invisalign, @boutiquewhitening_ and hand-crafted composite veneers come together, the result is next level 🚀🤯
Creating the perfect foundation, enhancing every detail and designing a smile that looks completely natural, balanced and bespoke to you!
This is why it’s our most popular smile makeover package — because it’s the ultimate combination for achieving the best possible outcome 🙌🏼
Straighter. Brighter. Freshened up.
And we’ll let this transformation do the talking… because the before and after says everything 😌
☎️ 0161 969 7464
📲 WhatsApp: 07747688767
📧 reception@saledentalspa.co.uk
#invisalign #boutiquewhitening #dentistmanchester #veneersmanchester
What an incredible day ✨
A huge thank you to all of our amazing patients, friends, and family who joined us for our Summer Glow Up Day and made it such a success 🫶🏼
The support, conversations, and wonderful energy throughout the day meant so much to us 💜
A special thank you to our incredible team 🥹💛
We truly couldn’t have done it without you. Your hard work, passion, and dedication brought everything together and made the day run seamlessly!
It was a beautiful day filled with connection, laughter, and celebrating what we love most about what we do!
And who knows… this might not be the last time we open our doors for something special 👀✨ Keep your eyes peeled…
Special mention to @bitofbackground & @qtboutiqueuk for supplying us with coffee on tap and our ballon arrangements ✨
Thank you again to everyone who made it a day to remember 💜
This Saturday is our Summer Glow Up Day. It sold out in days.
Every consultation slot is gone, and we can’t add more. But because so many of you asked, we’ve set aside a small number of Glow Up offers for consultations booked on another day.
That means you can still get over £1,400 off your clear aligner package, up to £800 off a same day smile makeover, plus a free 3D scan and a simulation of your new smile before you commit to anything.
Once these are claimed, that’s it. The pricing goes with them.
DM us the word GLOW and we’ll try and sort you a time that suits 🧡
✨ Invisalign, Whitening & Composite Veneers
🧑🏽⚕️ Treatment by @smiles.by.dr.aisha
Sometimes it’s not about one treatment... it’s about combining the right treatments to create the perfect smile 👌🏼
For this patient, we started with @invisalign to create the perfect foundation, followed by professional whitening and finished with composite veneers to refine the shape and complete the smile ✨
Brighter, straighter and completely natural 🙌🏼
No bulky veneers. No overdone look. Just a smile that looks like it was always meant to be this way 😍
🗓️ If you’ve been thinking about transforming your smile but aren’t sure where to start, we’ll create a treatment plan that’s completely tailored to you and your smile goals 🤝🏻
☎️ 0161 969 7464
📲 WhatsApp: 07747688767
📧 reception@saledentalspa.co.uk
#dentistmanchester #invisalign #manchester #smile
We swapped our scrubs for aprons and headed to @foodsorcery for the ultimate team day! 👩🏻🍳🥟
We had so much fun learning to make Japanese food, finishing with the most delicious chocolate fondants, before sitting down together to enjoy everything we’d created 🥢❤️
Lots of laughs, amazing food, and even better company✨
Days like these are what it’s all about!
Huge thanks to @foodsorcery for such a brilliant experience - we had the best time!🫶🏼
✨ Same-day emergency
🧑🏽⚕️ Treatment by @drmmirza_
Emergency in the morning… back smiling by the afternoon 🫶🏼
Our patient came to us with a broken tooth and needed help fast ‼️
Thankfully @drmmirza_ was able to see them the very same day and restore their smile before the day was over 🙌🏼
If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, don’t wait — give us a call and we’ll do our very best to see you as soon as possible ✨
☎️ 0161 969 7464
📲 WhatsApp: 07747 688767
📧 reception@saledentalspa.co.uk
#manchester #dentalmanchester #dentistmanchester #dentistcheshire
✨ Yes... it really is possible!
When you have the right dentist 👩🏽⚕️🫶🏼
Open bites are more common than you might think—and the good news is, they’re often highly treatable!
With the right treatment plan @invisalign can gently guide your teeth into their ideal position, helping to correct the bite itself, not just straighten the teeth you see👌🏼😌
No wires. No fuss. Just a discreet, comfortable journey towards a healthier bite and a smile that looks as good as it feels✨
🏝️ Our Summer Glow Up Event on 18th July is now completely FULLY BOOKED! 💛
The response has been incredible - THANK YOU!
Due to high demand… We’ve released a very limited number of exclusive consultation appointments for those who missed out 🙈
If you’ve been thinking about transforming your smile, this is your chance!
📩 Send us a DM to reserve your exclusive appointment before they’re gone ✨
☎️ 0161 969 7464
📲 WhatsApp: 07747688767
📧 reception@saledentalspa.co.uk
Or simply send us a DM and we’ll be happy to help 🫶🏼
#manchesterdentist #cheshiredentist #dentist #manchester #invisalign
✨Smile Makeover
👩🏽⚕️ Treatment by @smiles.by.dr.aisha
A bespoke treatment plan was designed to achieve this stunning result, combining teeth whitening, composite bonding, and porcelain crowns to enhance the shape, colour, and symmetry of the smile 🫶🏼
Every smile is unique, and sometimes the best results come from a combination of treatments tailored specifically to the patient’s needs ✨
Get in touch with our team today to book your FREE consultation 👇🏼
☎️ 0161 969 7464
📲 WhatsApp: 07747688767
📧 reception@saledentalspa.co.uk
Or simply send us a DM and we’ll be happy to help 🫶🏼
#Manchester #dentistmanchester #dentistcheshire #smilemakeover
A camera roll full of friendly faces, behind the scenes fun and the team that’s here to make your smile journey as comfortable as possible 🫶🏼✨
Join us at our Smile Open Day event on 18th July and meet all of our super friendly team ☺️
🔗Click the link in our bio to secure your spot!
☎️ 0161 969 7464
📲 WhatsApp: 07747688767
📧 reception@saledentalspa.co.uk
#manchesterdentist #cheshiredentist #dentist #manchester #invisalign
✨ Whitening & Composite Veneers
👩🏽⚕️Treatment by @smiles.by.dr.aisha
An incredible before & after showcasing the power of combining professional teeth whitening with composite veneers ✨
By brightening the natural teeth first and then carefully matching the composite veneers to your new shade, we can create a beautifully balanced, brighter smile with natural-looking results 🙌🏼
Thinking about transforming your smile? ✨
Our Open Day is taking place on 18th July, where we’ll be showcasing our exclusive smile makeover packages and helping patients take the first step towards their dream smile 🙌🏼
Click link in bio to book 🫶🏼
☎️ 0161 969 7464
📲 WhatsApp: 07747688767
📧 reception@saledentalspa.co.uk
#dentistmanchester #invisalign #compositebonding #manchester