Product Evaluation

Changing any habit is hard, but it’s especially difficult to get patients in the habit of cleaning their teeth daily. When cleaning between the teeth, patients have plenty of excuses not to do it. Maybe it takes too much time, perhaps their gums are sensitive, or there simply isn’t enough room to comfortably reach the posterior areas. No matter what the excuse is for not doing it, between-teeth cleaning is a necessary part of the daily oral healthcare routine, and hygienists regularly struggle to get that point across to patients.

As a hygienist at a periodontal practice, Kimberly McClure knows “these patients didn’t get perio disease overnight, and I know they won’t change habits overnight either—maybe never, unfortunately—so I try to find the easiest thing” to encourage patients to improve their oral healthcare routine, she shared. Explaining that most periodontal disease begins between the teeth, hygienist Cathy Hendrickson believes, “If we can motivate our patients to clean between their teeth on a regular basis, it can help maintain oral health instead of the disease process continuing.”

For Hendrickson and McClure, Sunstar’s GUM Proxabrush Go-Betweens are an excellent option for themselves and their patients. The convenient interdental brushes come in 6 sizes and have an easy-grip handle and bendable neck, which McClure says “seem to be easier for my patients” than flossing.

Innovative Design

To provide patients with greater comfort and control, Go-Betweens have a bendable neck, a nonslip flexible handle that improves access to posterior teeth, and a coated wire to prevent galvanic shock. “The Go-Betweens are advantageous due to the ergonomic design and the thick easy-to-grip handle, and the flexible tip makes access a bit easier too,” explained McClure. Featuring a variety of sizes (micro tight, ultra tight, tight, moderate, wide, and extra wide), ”you can customize what is best for an individual patient or an individual area in the mouth, whether it is tight or has an open contact,” noted Hendrickson. Allison Koska, RDH, said she generally uses and recommends the moderate size, while hygienist Denise McClaughry mainly recommends the larger sizes. “I love the hard, short plastic handle with the bend, but I wish it came in more sizes,” McClaughry added.

Cleaning Effectiveness

Designed to clean around teeth, bridges, crowns, and implants, GUM Proxabrush Go-Betweens feature innovative triangular-shaped bristles that are coated with an antibacterial agent. “Many people are not flossing or floss infrequently, and the Go-Betweens help clean those interproximal areas that collect plaque and bacteria and help stimulate the gum tissue to stay healthy,” disclosed Hendrickson. “I feel if used properly they are very effective at removing plaque and food debris.” Maureen Curran, RDH, added, “Many patients do not have the floss ‘hug’ the sides of the teeth, which leaves debris on the tooth surface, but the Go-Betweens are great at getting out debris from a more open contact.” While McClure encourages her patients to floss, she also recommends daily use of interproximal brushes because of the easy-to-grasp handle and “because they fill the spaces more fully and clean a bit more effectively in the interproximal grooves and tooth irregularities.” 

Patient Convenience & Compliance

To encourage patient compliance, the Go-Betweens feature soft bristles, a nonslip rubber handle, and a bendable neck that improves access to hard-to-reach areas. “The Go-Betweens are gentle, and the bristles are soft and rubbery, so they don’t poke the patient and draw blood,” Koska noted. “I recommend Go-Betweens for most adult patients as an adjunct to their regular home care routine, to use under orthodontic wires and around brackets, for those with dexterity issues who have a hard time flossing, and for open contact areas or areas around or under a bridge,” commented Hendrickson.

“I work in a perio practice, so we do regular reviews of home care and are always looking for new ways to help patients with home care,” shared McClaughry, who explained that the Go-Betweens are easy for patients to use and that she personally uses them as well. Calling Go-Betweens “very handy for people with larger hands and smaller mouths,” Koska said the handle helps patients who hesitate to put their fingers in their mouths, and Curran said, “The Go-Betweens are easier than floss for most people to manipulate.”

Each Go-Between includes a protective travel cap for easy storage in a pocket, purse, or car for on-the-go usage and maximum convenience. “They are small and handy to carry in a pocket or purse or to use when you are out and about and get something stuck in between your teeth,” Hendrickson shared.

Overall Satisfaction

An advocate for the Go-Betweens since 2015 when she received a crown and a retainer, Koska described, “They are very easy to grab and are thin enough to fi t between my tight teeth,” which is why she now recommends them to her patients.