dental tape

[joko]

hi,

my teeth are so close together i cannot get floss between them - it just rips.

once at the dentist he used a sort of abrasive tape to try to create a slight gap between one of them - it didn't work very well, (could barely get the tape in) but i just wondered if anyone knew whether this tape was available to but anywhere and what its called.

thanks

[ktlou]

as far as I'm aware joko, this is only the sort of thing a dentist would have (used to be a dental nurse and know the stuff your on about - but never saw it in shops). Are your teeth close together all the way or just at the top i.e if you could get the floss past the very top part of the gap, would it move more easily further down towards the gum line? If so, try teepee brushes (can get from dentists or boots I think). They are like little pointy brushes with only a few bristles - come in different sizes so you could get the smallest and see if that works?? You just put them inbetween the teeth at the gumline and because they are stronger than floss they won't break. Not much help I know but the best I could come up with!!

[smudge]

My teeth are also very close together & I had tried nearly every dental floss on the market.

The only one I found that is soft & gentle & actually gets between my teeth, is Oral B SatinTape (if you scroll down the page, you will see it's in a a pale blue container). You can buy it in Boots the Chemist & some supermarkets. It's well worth paying that little bit extra for it too.

Hope that helps.

[smudge]

The picture of the Oral B Satin Tape comes up on the top left hand corner of that page.

[happy_face]

yes if you've got very close gaps you can't use floss as the name says it's designed to floss. You need to get dental tape. Any tape will do the job as tape is covered in a kind of gloss which slides through the teeth much easier.

And well done for flossing, not many people do that

[smudge]

Hi happy_face, I wasted so many packs of floss 'cos I couldm't get it inbetween my teeth, that's why I recommended the tape.

I must just say, I have tried different cheaper satin tape, but some of them were also quite stringy & not so gentle - but I found Oral B Satin Tape to be the very best!

[smudge]

*couldn't!