I got these after my dentist recommended them, I used to use just floss but he suggested these would be better. My teeth are reasonably healthy, I do have the odd filling but I haven't had a new filling in a while, but I do have quite a fear of the dentist, so anything to avoid extra trips to the dentist I'm all for giving a go.

Interdental brushes are designed to poke in between your teeth and clean out any plaque or bits of food that is stuck in there. Normal brushing doesn't reach into these areas of your teeth and a build up of plaque can lead to decay and fillings! These interdental brushes are made by TePe and they come in a variety of sizes ranging from 0.4mm to 1.3mm, the size refers to the width of the brush and you should choose a size that fits snuggley between your teeth but is not too tight, if you are unsure what size to choose then your dentist of hygienist can recommend a size to you.

The brushes come in different colours, with one colour for each size. There is a handle bit that is made of coloured plastic and is flat on both sides. I tend to hold the interdental brush between my thumb and forefinger, the handle gives you a good grip of the brush. The brush part is made of a plastic coated metal wire with bristles all along the length of it, they do look a bit scary when you first get them but don't be afraid!

To use the interdental brush you just need to slide it carefully in between your teeth, you shouldn't have to push them too hard and if you feel alot of resistance then you either have the wrong size or are pushing it in at the wrong angle. The brush bit is very flexible so you can bend it different ways to be able to fit it in between all the teeth in your mouth, with different teeth you may have to put the brush at a different angle. To clean out the space between your teeth you need to move the brush back and forth a couple of times, it is not necessary to scrub between your teeth as this my cause inflammation in your gums. You may notice bleeding for a short while when you start using the brushes, this is ok and as long as it settles down it is nothing to worry about. If it doesn't, again it might mean you are using the wrong sized brush or you are scrubbing too hard!

I have been using these for about 6 months now and at first they did kinda hurt but that has really settled down now and I do feel that I have gotten a lot of benefit out of them. I have tried other types of interdental brushes from tescos and I have found them to not be as good as the TePe ones, the wires on the brush bit bent far too easily and I wasn't able to clean in between my teeth as well with them. So I am now due my next dental check up so the real test will be if my dentist notices a difference in my teeth, fingers crossed!