Meet Denis Bourgeois
In addition to being Dean of the University of Lyon’s dental faculty in France, Prof. Denis Bourgeois is a pioneer in research on oral prophylaxis, interdental biofilm management and interdental brushing techniques. In a 2017 study, he was the first to quantify the 19 major pathogens in the interdental biofilm involved in periodontitis in young healthy adults. On the one hand, the study shows that even healthy biofilm contains periodontal pathogens that can lead to periodontitis and, potentially, systemic diseases. On the other, it showcases the importance of interdental biofilm management in preventative oral health.

One interdental site, sixteen billion bacteria
The anatomy of the interdental space does not allow for an efficient salivary self-cleaning mechanism and a normal toothbrush only cleans around 60-70 per cent of the surface area of the teeth. Apart from the composition of healthy interdental biofilm, however, the study conducted by Bourgeois and his colleagues concluded that most interdental sites can be cleaned easily and effectively following instructions. Using interdental brushes, they managed to collect an astounding 16 billion bacteria from each interdental space.

“Dental floss used to be the common tool for narrow spaces. However, dental floss is no longer preferred, as its use is not supported by conclusive scientific evidence. For interdental brushes, we have scientific evidence. Interdental brushes have now become the best tool for cleaning interdental spaces,” says Bourgeois. As the general access widths of interdental spaces in young adults are mostly unknown, they used an IAP CURAPROX calibrating colorimetric probe to effectively determine the width of the interdental spaces as well as the right brush size. As the researchers found out, 80 per cent of the sites required a small-diameter interdental brush (0.6-0.7 mm) from the CURAPROX CPS Prime series, the thinnest interdental brush on the market. The latest generation of the brushes was able to access and clean 94 per cent of all interdental spaces while causing minimal trauma.

With their CURAPROX CPS Prime line, Curaden offers the finest interdental brushes on the market, able to clean even the smallest interdental spaces. At this year’s International Dental Exhibition and Meeting (IDEM) in Singapore, from 13 to 15 April, Curaden will be providing their Individually Trained Oral Prophylaxis (iTOP) education programme - a hands-on, practical training session that will demonstrate how to use these interdental brushes safely, easily and efficiently.

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