I’ve had some problems with my teeth in the recent months. And as such problems usually do in people, this prompted me to get more active about my dental care. One of the items I looked into very quickly was the interdental pick, since most tooth problems happen on the sides of the teeth that face each other because that area is hard to reach, and I’m not a fan of using floss or the amount of waste generated by floss picks (though I do use them from time to time) I’ve used 3 of the most commonly available items and here is what I think.

The Doctor’s Brush Picks – Starting off with the least expensive, these picks have a double sided brush on one end and a “toothpick” on the other, which is molded in a fairly hard plastic. The size is good for being able to handle and maneuver in the mouth, but the brush bristles bend easily and make even relatively healthy gums bleed with ease. The brush itself does a fairly good job of cleaning in between teeth but the toothpick part is almost useless, and the brittle plastic can break off very easily.

GUM Soft Picks – These medium-priced picks are the smallest of the bunch, and the handles are very small, making them hard to get a grip on and bending (or even breaking) prone. The bristles on the end are soft, and while if one has never used interdental picks before they can seem to hurt a bit they are easily capable of fitting through most spaces in a normal mouth. They clean very well, but only closer to the base of the tooth, and if one is going through their entire mouth, the rubber may start to tear.

DenTek Slim Brush – The highest priced per pick item here, these interestingly don’t come with carrying case like the others. The handles are far superior and are easy to hold yet slightly flexible to allow for ease of use. The brush itself is like a very tiny pipe cleaner, with a wire in the center and a set of synthetic bristles running up and down. One has to be careful with these so as to not push the wire into their gums, but otherwise the brush gives a very good (if again only to the base of the tooth) clean. They can start to flatten out and get the wire very bent with use but they are still by far the most reusable of the group.

So there are the three, and I would say, that if you want to have a good handle; go with the DenTek. If you want to get the most of the inside of the tooth clean; consider the Brush Picks. Bt if you want the best all around quality and value, the GUM soft picks are the way to go. They are easily transportable, easy on gums, and in my opinion, clean as well as any of the others. For me the DenTek handles just get in the way and the Brush Picks are just painful. I carry the soft picks with me anywhere I go and I have them at home for when I’m too lazy to floss (and for the record I know these don’t replace flossing). For me they just work the best and are the best interdental picks I have run across.