SUMMARYI didn't like the short lifespan of GUM Soft-Picks Original, and am happy to have found TEPE's Interdental Brush Original to be a much more durable choice with a similar ease of use.HISTORYIt all started with a cavity, which was a surprise to me since I always brushed after each meal, rarely snacked, and flossed daily. The cavity had developed on a forward-facing surface, where a standard toothbrush didn't effectively reach. Secondly, some time later, I noticed that my floss smelled foul after contacting another tooth. On my next visit to my dentist, I asked the hygienist about the smell. She told me that there was a natural depression on the surface of that tooth that allowed bacteria to become established, and she cleaned it. This spot, too, was on a forward-facing surface in the interdental space. The floss had been cleaning enough of the colony to be detectable on my floss, but left enough behind to regrow. My dentist then gave me GUM Soft-Picks and advised me to brush interdentally. I immediately appreciated Soft-Picks' easier-than-floss cleaning, but didn't appreciate the rubber bits shearing off after only a handful of uses. The Soft-Picks soon became more an expensive toothpick than an interdental brush.SEARCHED AND RESCUEDI looked for durability and greater width since all but two of my interdental spaces were too wide for Soft-Picks. I started using GUM's ProxaBrush Go-Betweens on their Dual-Ended handle. In my family, I'm the only one whose interdental spaces requires three different brush widths, so I appreciated that I could put Tight and Moderate on one tool. I needed a third brush for the two spaces too narrow for the Tight, so I tried a generic brush I found at CVS. The width was good, but the handle was too long for cleaning the back spaces – since I don't have chipmunk-like cheeks to accommodate the CVS brush and my two fingers. My search for a Soft-Picks alternative came to an end when I found TEPE's Interdental Brush Original (soft). The TEPE is usable in the back spaces, and my family members who preferred Soft-Picks over ProxaBrush now prefer the TEPE over Soft-Picks. I still prefer the ProxaBrush for comfortably reaching the back spaces, but it's interesting how our jaws and cheeks make us choose one interdental tool over another. As a family, however, we are all happily off the Soft-Picks with its poor durability. Now that I've been able to find the correct size replacements (see EQUIVALENCY below) in this TEPE Mixed Pack, I can order the specific sizes separately.DURABILITYAs I mentioned earlier, the nubs of the Soft-Picks start shearing off after only five or fewer uses. These TEPE brushes have been just as durable as ProxaBrush tips, which last over two months of three-times-a-day use! Bear in mind, however, that the beefy TEPE handles could encourage overexuberant cleaning force that snaps the smaller tips long before they do so from normal-use fatigue. In that regard, Soft-Pick have handles proportionately sized to their shafts and, being one piece, don't have the same degree of precaution.EQUIVALENCYIn case you, like my family members, find the ProxaBrush too awkward to use or you find the Soft-Picks ecologically unsound, here's a guide to choosing the equivalent TEPE: Red is equivalent to GUM Soft-Picks; Blue = ProxaBrush Tight; and Yellow = ProxaBrush Moderate. Tepe's bristles are available in Soft or Extra Soft, while ProxaBrush (GUM) offers no choice. The ProxaBrush bristles are a bit stiffer than Tepe's Soft bristles.FLOSSING VS INTERDENTAL BRUSHINGWith my teeth, interdental brushing removes food that vigorous swishing, flossing, and brushing do not. Interdental brushing cleans some areas better than flossing can – e.g., dimpled or concave surfaces (our teeth surfaces aren't perfectly flat/convex). So why not replace time-consuming flossing with interdental brushing? Flossing cleans other areas better than interdental brushing can – e.g., under the gum line. These days, I floss after dinner, followed by standard and interdental brushing. After breakfast and lunch, I brush interdentally after standard brushing. I prefer to brush interdentally AFTER standard toothbrushing – with the toothpaste remaining in my mouth helping the interdental brush to clean.EXACT LENGTHFor those looking for exact lengths, here they are in inches:CVS brush 2 7/16GUM Soft-Pick 1 7/8TEPE Pink 1 7/8TEPE Orange 1 29/32TEPE Red 1 15/16TEPE Blue 2TEPE Yellow 2 1/16Be sure to order the correct size AND stiffness. For example, Size 2 comes in soft (ASIN B00H2YQLVO) and extra soft (ASIN B008LU3CHE). On a reorder, I mistakenly ordered Size 2 extra soft: Note the longer bristles and thicker holder (photos).Lastly, I have been using Eco-Dent DailyCare Baking Soda Toothpowder for years. I initially tried it due to its claim of natural remineralization of the tooth enamel. That claim is no longer being made by the company, oddly. However, I continue to use it because it 1) has no sweetener, 2) lasts extraordinarily long – a bottle lasts one person five months with thrice-daily use, 3) has a recyclable container, 4) has enjoyable, natural flavors, and 5) allows these TEPE brushes to slide in/out of my interdental spaces with noticeable ease compared to conventional toothpastes.
