interdental brushes vs interdental picks?

[WashedUpBrightonTart]

I heard the bristles could lodge under crowns or in gum pockets, the wire jabs me and bends. Are interdental picks (tepe) just as good as the brushes or better? I hate water picks and floss with tape.

D shaped dental floss sticks are brilliant - have you tried those?

My dentist says the brushes are better than the picks. However and this is important, I hate the brushes. I can’t do it. It is a sensory issue. They drive me absolutely up the wall. The mere sight of one upsets me. So I use the picks. Not as effective, but consistent use is better than a patient who might occasionally comply with a recommendation.

No because my gaps are big and i'm managing ok with floss.

@Ponderingwindow oh shit, i've been using interdental picks for 3 years, i have start of decay between molars which explains what you just said. I fucking hate teeth, the whole process of cleaning them is so repulsive so i get the sensory thing.

For gum issues you must use the brushes as they brush the gum rather than just pushing food out

How do the brushes get below the gum line though?

I thought the point of flossing was to clean below the gum mine?

OP - I use D shape floss sticks for my front teeth and then rainbow shape floss sticks for my back teeth

There are rainbow shaped ones??

OP, I can't get on with the interdental brushes. I'm dental phobic at the best of times, but ponied up to go back to the dentist after 20 years, this year. I've gone from never having flossed or used an electric brush to using both an electric brush and a child's toothbrush, and the D shaped floss thingies daily - my hygienist wants me to use flat tape but I can't get on with it.

Anyway. My dentist and the hygienist both suggested interdental brushes, but I hate them - sensory, and painful, even the smallest ones. Bloody hygienist first appointment after 20 years was straight in there with them jabbing them around and making my gums bleed horrendously (I do not believe that I have gum disease, it was pointy metal being roughly shoved around delicate tissue that made them bleed!). I disliked them before, I'm not going to be using them now!

So anyway. Hygienist did say that whatever my routine was, I was doing a good job with it. And my routine does not include them, so I'm not going to be using them.

No idea if this is helpful to you or not!

I floss all my teeth then I go back with tepe rubber picks dipped in toothpaste between all the gaps that it can physically fit. The molars sides are curved in so the floss wont clean the side well, other teeth have straight sides the the floss glides over. I've been flossing for years so I can manage it it's just the interdental brush vs interdental pick. It's not like wooden tooth picks, tepe rubber picks have little bumps that massage the gums and are tapered so i believe they do more than just push food particles out. Sorry for the gross expression. Oh why oh can't our teeth be cleaned by birds like crocodiles?! 🐊🐦

I've never heard of rainbow flossers sounds fun.
The most fun I have doing my teeth is zoning out with a tiktok video or youtube to distract the horrid sensations...
@Grimchmas im so proud of you!! Well done on sorting your teeth out ⭐️

I was advised to use the brushes, but didn’t really like them. I then managed to use one at the wrong angle on the wisdom tooth gap (the tooth is angled, so not easy), and it hurt! I’m not sure if it is connected, or whether it was coincidental, but my gum around the other side of the same tooth started to hurt a day later, so I went to the dentist when it didn’t get any better, just to be told it was infected 😔. I haven’t used the brush since.

I will start doing the same as you and dipping some tepe brushes in toothpaste first - good idea!

These are the rainbow ones, I didn’t know how else to describe them lol

Funnily enough I was at the dentist today talking about this! She said not to use pickers, or those ‘rainbow’ shaped ones - best thing is floss and the little brushes. And always use an electric t-brush too.

@LostThePot thank you for posting a pic of them. They have been recommended for my DC but my hygienist and dentist never suggested them for me and I suspect because I have gaps and crowns so can fit interdental devices.
@Purplecatshopaholic thank you so much, the brushes do feel like a literal scrub where as the interdental picks feel more like a massage or gentle rub. I will try to use both.

Thank you everyone for your comments xxx