What Are Piksters?

Everybody knows brushing your teeth twice a day is important but toothbrushes alone cannot get into all the gaps between your teeth where most dental decay and gum disease begins. Piksters’ smart and revolutionary design can access even the most hard to reach places between your teeth and gums delivering a more effective and deeper clean.

Piksters interdental brushes are small cylindrical brushes designed to slide into and clean the spaces between the teeth. Unlike floss, they have lateral bristles that spring out to engage and remove the plaque in the small crevices in between the teeth. Plaque is very sticky and can be quite difficult to remove, so don’t be afraid to use a brush that feels firm as long as it doesn’t cause trauma to your gums. Many dentists find that their patients like to use piksters in preference to floss.

Why Should You Use Piksters?

The need to clean between teeth is undisputed as this is where most of the plaque accumulates. It then follows that a lot of decay starts here and gum disease is also more prevalent in this area. The reason for using piksters is to disturb this bio-film of bacteria. Once disturbed it cannot cause the damage to the tooth structure or the delicate gum tissue between the teeth. There are other factors involved but we know if the mature bio-film is removed, the disease process will not occur.

You should not be concerned if your gums bleed a little bit at the start. Many people have inflamed gums due to the fact they haven’t been using inter-dental brushes or floss. The inflammation causes weakening of the blood vessels, therefore they tend to break more easily under gentle stimulation, which is seen as bleeding when cleaned properly. This bleeding is a sign that you need to be cleaning more often, not less often, as is a common misconception when people notice bleeding. However the bleeding should stop within a few days. If it doesn’t go away there is a reason and you should visit your dentist.

What Are the Early Signs of Gum Disease?

The first warning sign of gum disease is bleeding of the gums when brushed or flossed. This is called “gingivitis” and at this early stage, it is reversible. If it progresses deeper into the bone it is then called “periodontal disease” which is harder to stop. Some people become concerned that their gums bleed and assume that they are brushing too hard.

However, bleeding is usually a sign that plaque has been left behind for too long and the toxins are now causing the gums to become inflamed. With effective cleaning and brushing, the bleeding can be reversed in three to seven days, but for the healing to occur you need to keep removing the plaque. Using piksters in your daily regime would be highly beneficial in keeping the plaque away.

The Advantage of Piksters

• Piksters are easy to use as opposed to floss. There is no doubt that sliding a brush between teeth is easier than the manipulation of floss.
• Less dexterity is required and therefore cleaning is more likely to be carried out effectively. Unlike flossing, one handed method can be used with IP brushes (piksters).
• Piksters come in all different sizes to suit the individual needs. There are small sizes which are made for teeth where gaps are fine. There are large sizes used for back teeth where gaps are generally larger or where the gums have shrunk. Piksters are more effective than floss in this regard as they cover more area. We recommend that you see your Dentist or Hygienist to determine the correct size to use.
• Piksters are very effective for use around implants, bridges, dentures and orthodontic appliances. It is important to choose a size that inserts without force. Piksters are very flexible and when used to brush between the back teeth, the brush heads can be bent to a 45-90 degree angle without buckling. Each pikster comes with a cap which keeps the brush clean and can double as a handle extension. This allows more hand control and less reliance on the strength of the fingers.

For more information on using piksters, please contact Vision Dental on (02) 9543 4222.