I never used to go to the hygienists until my dentist told me that i was getting gum disease and getting worse. I never used to think that i needed it. My dentist doesn’t do it anymore because it’s more complicated and the dentist hasn’t got the time.
I use the teepee brushes or interdental brushes, they’re small brushes to go in between the teeth and different sizes to fit the different gapes in between the teeth, I have to use 4 different ones.
We have dental plan insurance to cover checkups and the hygienists.
Twink we have teepee and all sorts of brushes to get into awkward places but still it’s difficult to get all the plaque off one’s teeth and some people make more plaque than others . The hygienist said a good hint is remembering NOT to rinse the toothpaste off after brushing your teeth ,
Try Teepees dental brushes.
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Sorry Barry wigwams wont help 
I think Logan 1 gave a good definition of what they are.
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That may help but wont prevent the plaque from forming. My dentist suggested washing your mouth with salt water after eating, to keep your gums healthy, but the Teepees reduce the chance of plaque sticking to your teeth. If it does it allows the microbes to create gum infections.
You need to start with a scale & polish, but then daily mouth cleansing had prevented me needing one for years.
I have used the interdental brushes for years. There was a thread on here once about them and the majority of posters used them.
The NHS dental list of charges state that a Scale and Polish is included in the check up as are X-rays.
My dentist has always given my teeth a good scale and polish at the end of the check -up.
I only went to the hygenist once as he had an emergency appointment and i wasn`t charged.
That is exactly why I was questioning at the dentists yesterday and got hauled off to the managers office for my pains for having a moan at the receptionist so bloody rude .
Twink you might just have the sort of saliva that doesn’t form much plaque as well everyone is different .
Ah, so teepes are interdental brushes, never heard them called that before…
I always had plaque and needed my dentist or hygienist to remove it every 3 to 6 months. The daily Teepees have stopped me needing this for as long as I have used them & my current dentist says she is very pleased with the result.
The only reason I posted is I thought it would save susan_m from having to spend a fortune, but you need to start with a clean mouth first!
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The thing is once the plaque has calcified ie become tartar ( this usually takes between 1 and 3 days but can take as little as 4 to 8 hours according to your saliva ) not much will shift it and from thence you get gum disease , recession and loose teeth and that’s why one needs a hygienist .
I can honestly say I have visited a dentist every 6 months for the last 63 years & up until the 80’s the dentist would remove plaque by just using a small gadget to remove it & then give you a mouthwash to protect the gums, every 6 months.
He then got a new electronic gadget, which I didn’t like & told him ,so he said I could see the hygienist who used the old method.
That was when many Dentists went private and employed hygienists to do a scale & polish… Of course they did because customers were now having to pay!
I was a private patient till 2011, but had to go for Chemo therapy, so decided to look after my own teeth and then managed to get a NHS dentist, who did an old fashioned scale & polish once, since then my daily use of Teepees had kept my teeth & gums clear of plaque & infection.
The new NHS dentist, that arrived just after the Covid scare told me that I had done an amazing job keeping my teeth clean and asked how I did it. When I told her I used Teepees every day & an electric toothbrush twice a day, she told me “Don’t stop, you are doing a great job”
My dad got a gum infection as a young man and lost all his teeth, so taught me how important it was to look after them… so I am really pleased that I listened to him.
Sadly many private dentists are getting like vets , charging a lot because they know we will all pay. My asthmatic cat needs a human inhaler which the vet charges £ 87.90 for, I now get a prescription from the vet for £15 & the Chemist charges £33 for the inhaler, so I save £40 every time he needs one.
That can be true, Muddy. Acidity in saliva varies.
See this I found:
" Various factors cause acidic pH levels in your saliva, and an acidic saliva pH level lower than 7 can result in significant damage to your teeth. Acidic saliva often leads to one suffering from acid erosion, which can ultimately lead to enamel loss, tooth decay, and cavities."
I have used TeePee brushes, or other makes, for many years too. But they only clean between our teeth, which is very important, but I think the electric toothbrushes are the best for cleaning the whole tooth. My dentist also recommends electric brushes.
I’ve only had one tooth out in my life, and that was a few months ago. I am so thankful to still have all the others.
Me too Mups I want them to see me out.
I have only ever had two impacted wisdom teeth out the rest are hanging in there!
There was a time when everyone of a certain age had false teeth .
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I have had no wisdom teeth whatsoever.
I must be a bit thick!
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Can someone recommend an electric toothbrush , I know nothing about them so I’ll need to know about replacements etc .
I don’t want to spend a lot of money though .
Thankyou
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Oral B - its about £20? My dentist keeps going on about it, but I’m too stingy to spend £20 on a toothbrush! 
Battery charged and you get different heads for them 
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You would be lucky to get one for £20 but sometimes Tescos sells them reduced
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Try a battery one first ( usually around £8 ) to see if you like them & look for a cheap supply of batteries.
I have an Oral B rechargeable one but you need to have a socket to charge it and some cost hundreds of pounds… but if you look on the internet you can find cheap ones They last a long time and you can get good deals on the internet for brush replacements… I have had my current one for at least 10 years & then paid about £20 for it . Unfortunately the price has gone up a lot as so many people use them now
have a look at this
Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush with 8 Replacement Brush Heads, £10.79 at Amazon (latestdeals.co.uk)
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