Bleeding gums/gum inflammation

[SheepGoesBaa]

I had a 6 month follow up, dental cleaning done. My dentist said there was an approvement from my last cleaning. I will put this down to the purchase and the use of an electrical toothbrush. I also use a water flosser.

He said I do have some gum inflammation and my gums tend to bleed towards the back. He recommended flossing.

Currently my routine is:

• Mouthwash
• Floss: I floss my front teeth. I floss the teeth to the sides of my front teeth. I find it hard to floss the back teeth. Theres so very litt3space between my teeth and I find it hard to move floss up between my back teeth.

-water flosser: I fill this with warm water or mouth wash and aim it at the gumline and travel around my mouth with the tip. I do this most nights. Sometimes I might slack off. If I'm very busy or tired or I'm staying away. I brush my teeth with an electric toothbrush.

Over the past few months, I have seen an approvement. My gums used to bleed when I brushed my teeth. Not so much now or sometimes there's a very faint pink spitting out toothpaste. My gums tend to bleed when I floss. Not all of my gums. Just some sections. Towards the back like my dentist said.

What can I do to help reduce the gum inflammation and stop the bleeding gums? Should I start using cordysal (spelling).

Corsodyl on the floss and then use Tee-Pees or tape on your back teeth. You need to get between your teeth and brush your gums every day.

Ask your hygeinist to show you hiw to reach your back teeth.

I use dental floss picks and sometimes I might have a little cup of mouthwash and dip the floss in there. I do that for the middle teeth.

I bought the thinnest of the tepe interdental brushes. I can use them with ease on my front teeth and the teeth in the middle before I reach the back teeth but after that, no luck. There's no spaces between my back teeth to reach between the teeth.

I have a sonicare toothbrush. The toothbrush head is kind of like a long oval shape. I usually brush my teeth with the head in a vertical position so the gums get a cleaning too.

I brush with an electric toothbrush twice daily and use the interdental brushes twice a day most days and also the y shaped plastic flossers as they pick up stuff the brushes miss and are good for back teeth and tightly packed teeth.

I think I should probably take my toothbrush and stuff to work to clean mid day but haven’t bothered yet.

and I find it hard to move floss up between my back teeth.
I bought the thinnest of the tepe interdental brushes. I can use them with ease on my front teeth and the teeth in the middle before I reach the back teeth but after that, no luck

It's not clear from your post but it maybe you aren't using the tepe brushes correctly if you are saying even the smallest ones don't fit the back teeth.

The purpose of flossing and cleaning with a tepe is to stop plaque collecting round the gum line. It is not to clean up and down between the full surface of the tooth.

The tepe should just be used to move in and out at the bottom of the tooth by the gum line - in the tiny dark triangle between the teeth and the gum line. If you have the pink thin ones, it should fit in between the teeth at the base of the back teeth in even the most crowded mouth because the back teeth aren't shaped like bricks with straigh sides. The base of the tooth at the gum line will have a gap even if it's a small one. I suppose its just about possible that you have so much inflamation that a tiny one won't go in but probably not the case.

This is the place the tepe should go its just right at the bottom.

i.ytimg.com/vi/_ZehhtrE5MM/maxresdefault.jpg

You aren't supposed to move it up and down between the whole side of the teeth. It's more in and out at the bottom.

If you really have tiny spacing at the back, try this one. The handles make it much easier to access the back teeth than the short ones.

www.tepe.com/uk/products/interdental-brushes/angle/p-angle-pink%20/

Dental tape is more comfortable in the tight gaps than floss.

Thank you for your replies. I find it hard to bring floss up between the back teeth. That's just the back teeth.

Thanks for your alarming post on the interdental brushes. I was trying to use them like floss but I'm just after checking a youtube video on how to use interdental brushes. I'm going to gine interdental brushes another go. I still have a pack at home.

Thanks for your alarming post on the interdental brushes. I was trying to use them like floss but I'm just after checking a youtube video on how to use interdental brushes. I'm going to gine interdental brushes another go. I still have a pack at home.

I wondered if that was the case when you said even the smallest one didn't fit the back teeth.

The purpose of all this is only to stop plaque round the gum line. This is because plaque collecting eventually causes gum inflamation, the gum to gape away from the teeth which causes bone loss and makes your teeth fall out.

The tepe brushes need only to clean either side of the teeth that are at the base of the gum.

For this reason, the size you need for any particular gap between two teeth is the size that just fits in that gap. The brush should be making contact on teeth on both sides.

Think of it like using a round brush to clean a test tube. The brush size you want is the one that justs makes contact with the sides of the glass. You can of course move a smaller brush both sides of the glass to clean both sides of the test tube but its quicker and easier to have one that fits so you just need to move it in and out.

If you have the smallest tepe but were trying to use it like floss, you may find that it is too small for your teeth.

Most people will need at least a couple of different sizes for different gaps.

It's nighttime and I'm getting ready. I started my teeth cleaning job with mouthwash and floss. I tried using an interdental brush too. I have the tepe pink so it's the smallest brush (I think).

I watched youtube for the technique. I'm actually not able to use the brush at all. I applied toothpaste to the brush, I moved it around to each area where I am supposed to stick it in and out. The area at the top of my teeth between two teeth. That's the place I'm trying to stick the brush into. My teeth are just far too close together. The interdental brush just doesn't fit.

I applied toothpaste to the brush

You do NOT apply toothpaste to a tepe brush. You should use it immediately after you have brushed your teeth using your toothbrush and toothpast while your mouth is still full of flouride toothpaste but BEFORE you rinse your mouth.

I moved it around to each area where I am supposed to stick it in and out. The area at the top of my teeth between two teeth. That's the place I'm trying to stick the brush into.

The tepe brush goes into the tiny triangle area where teeth meet the gum line. For your upper jaw teeth, it is at the top of the tooth where it meets the gum line. For the lower jaw teeth, at the bottom of the tooth. It's just the bit right by the gum line.

My teeth are just far too close together

I still think you must be doing something incorrectly if you are using the thin pink tepe. I'd be shocked if that thinnest tepe doesn't fit anywhere between any of your teeth.

It is possible major gum inflamation may be causing you difficulty but my guess is your technique or something else is causing a problem. A big wodge of toothpaste on the brush for example.

It maybe if you are putting toothpaste on it or something you have kinked it or bent it. They do need to be straight to work properly. They have to be replaced regularly.

My advice would be to go to an oral hygenist and get them to show you how to use them while you hold a mirror and watch. They will be able to tell you what sizes you need.

I agree with the last post. Get professional advice. It was my dentist that introduced me to the joys of the interdental brush and showed me how to use it.