Cleaning between your teeth matters for your mouth and your body.
Practicing good dental health goes a long way, because it protects your overall well-being, preventing serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes complications, pneumonia, and even impacts fertility and pregnancy outcomes. Beyond physical health, maintaining good oral hygiene also significantly improves one’s quality of life by preserving the ability to speak, eat and smile properly.
Effective brushing technique is vital. To maintain good dental health, routine dental visits, typically every six months, allow for professional cleanings. This helps in early identification of problems before they become serious and provides personalised advice on oral hygiene to maintain a healthy smile and prevent future complications.
According to experts, brushing only cleans 60% to 70% of tooth surfaces, and the rest − mainly the tight spaces between teeth (40% of tooth surfaces) − is often neglected, allowing plaque to accumulate. These tight spaces potentially cause gum disease, increasing in whole-body health risks.
Dirna Grobbelaar, oral hygiene advisor at Ivohealth, said the findings reveal that gum disease is reportedly linked to over 50 systemic conditions. The health conditions include heart disease and diabetes to poor pregnancy outcomes, pancreatic cancer, and even depression.
She said tight spaces are where cavities and gum disease usually begin, with serious consequences for your mouth and your body.
“Cleaning in between remains one of the hardest things for patients to do − yet it is one of the most important. New plaque is soft and easier to remove. Leave it for a day or two, and it matures into biofilm − a sticky layer that’s much harder to shift. That’s why a small daily habit can have a big impact − it only takes 30 to 60 seconds,” said Grobbelaar.
