After a 12-week RCT showed greater reductions in bleeding with interdental brushes compared to floss in periodontal maintenance, have you changed your standard home-care recommendations? I’m piloting chairside sizing with a color‑coded gauge during recare and would love to hear how you document sizes and what you use for patients with very tight contacts or fixed retainers.
I chart the exact size and surfaces in the note like “IDB: TePe green 0.8 mm — UR3–UR6 buccal, daily” and snap a quick photo so we can match it at the next visit. For very tight contacts or fixed retainers I default to PTFE tape until tissue calms, then re‑try the smallest brush — do you re‑size every recare or only when bleeding persists?
I’ve switched most maintenance patients to IDBs and chart it in one line as “brand/size — site — frequency” (e.g., “CPS 06 — UL2–UL5 lingual, nightly”), plus a note to “re‑size in 6–8 wks” because embrasures change. For very tight contacts or under fixed retainers, I start with PTFE tape or Superfloss and a water flosser, then trial a micro IDB once inflammation drops — like shoe sizes for teeth. Do you track size changes in the perio chart or in a custom field?
Leaning into IDBs after that 12-week RCT; I size with the color gauge and record the largest brush that passes with light resistance, plus one size down for sore sites. For very narrow embrasures or fixed retainers, I pair tufted threaders with a water flosser rather than forcing micro heads. @hannah_layton92 I log a size-range code under OHI so we can filter recalls by diameter.
I pre-bend the selected brush to the angle they’ll use and bag it that way, then document it as “TePe blue — #13–16 from palatal — nightly,” plus note the entry direction; under a bonded lingual wire I drop one taper and coach “stop at first blanching,” but for truly contact‑locked spots I still chart “floss here.” @bmartin67 do you record approach (mesial/distal) anywhere?