GUM Proxabrush Go-Betweens feature a triangular bristle design that effectively removes biofilm in between the teeth
When Susan Wingrove was a practicing hygienist, her favorite part of the job was customizing home care. She loved creating personalized plans to help patients achieve their best oral health.
Now that Wingrove, BS, RDH, is an international lecturer and author, she teaches other clinicians about effective home care products. What does she recommend most? Interdental brushes. In fact, a study comparing the 10 most popular interdental oral hygiene aids found them to be more effective than floss.* Along with water jets, they ranked the highest for reducing gingival bleeding, while tooth-picks and floss ranked last, Wingrove said.
“Unless patients are really adept at using the C motion on every tooth—and most are not—floss stays in the center and won't hit the areas in between the teeth,” she noted. “Interdental brushes scrub on either side of the tooth, like a toothbrush.”
More Effective Cleaning
Wingrove’s go-to interdental brushes are GUM Proxabrush Go-Betweens. She loves their triangular bristle design, which enables them to get into “the nooks and crannies.”
“All interdental brushes have different designs. The GUM Proxabrush goes in at a point, but has a thicker part that can actually reach concavities,” she said. “It’s easy to get the brush into the interproximal area, and the fact that it expands makes it more effective.”
Designed for a gentle in-and-out motion, GUM Proxabrush can remove up to 25% more plaque and food particles in between teeth, especially in hard-to-reach areas, than with brushing alone.**
A bendable neck makes it easier to reach posterior teeth, while the nylon-coated wire allows easy cleaning around braces and restorations. The travel cap can be used to lengthen the handle, which is made of nonslip rubber for an easy grip.
Home Care, Simplified
Wingrove, whose clinical hygiene career spanned over 3 decades, also teaches dental professionals how to choose the right GUM Proxabrush.
Most patients need 2 sizes: a thinner brush for the anterior and a thicker one for the posterior. If inflammation is present, provide the next size up for use once it resolves. Patients should brush all surfaces—facial, lingual, and interproximal—twice daily and replace brushes monthly.
“I try to simplify home care as much as I can,” she continued, “and offer oral hygiene aids, such as GUM Proxabrushes, that are really going to make a difference for patients."
