How to Clean All On 6 Teeth: Water Flossers, Superfloss and Professional Maintenance Visits

The sesame seed finds its way under the bridge somewhere between the salad and the main course. The tongue goes looking for it, as tongues do, and finds only smooth acrylic and a hidden ledge it cannot reach. Two months after surgery, with a full arch of fixed teeth that look and chew like the real thing, this is the moment many people realize nobody fully explained how to clean All on 6 teeth once the swelling settled.

The question is more important than it sounds. An All-on-6 bridge sits on six titanium posts and does not come out at night, so the space between the prosthesis and the gum becomes a shelf where food and bacterial film collect. That film, left alone, is the starting point of the inflammation that threatens implants.

The good news is that the routine is learnable, takes a few minutes a day, and relies on ordinary tools rather than anything exotic.

Why is All-on-6 a food trap, and what is actually under there?

All-on-6 is a full arch of fixed replacement teeth supported by six dental implants, which are titanium screws placed into the jawbone. The bone grows onto the titanium surface over several months in a process called osseointegration, and the bridge is then screwed onto small connectors called abutments. Mayo Clinic describes this bone-fusing phase as the reason implant treatment unfolds over months rather than weeks.

Picture the finished bridge from underneath. There is a horseshoe of acrylic or zirconia teeth, a pink gum-colored flange, and then a narrow gap between that flange and your own gum tissue. The gap exists on purpose. If the bridge pressed hard against the gum everywhere, cleaning would be impossible and the tissue would be crushed. The trade-off is a tunnel that runs the length of the arch, interrupted only by the six abutments.

Food slides into that tunnel from the cheek side and the tongue side. Seeds, rice, fibrous meat and soft bread all behave differently, but every one of them leaves behind a residue that bacteria colonize within hours. The same sticky film that forms on natural teeth, called plaque or biofilm, forms on titanium and acrylic just as readily.

Natural teeth have one defense a bridge lacks. The ligament around a tooth root carries a rich blood supply and a dense network of fibers that resist bacterial invasion. An implant sits in bone with a looser seal of gum tissue around it, which is why the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and other sources stress that inflammation around implants can progress quietly. Understanding the tunnel is the first step toward keeping it clean.

How to clean All on 6 teeth: the daily routine, step by step

The sequence matters less than the coverage. Every surface of the bridge, every abutment, and the full length of the tunnel need attention at least once a day, with the visible surfaces brushed twice. The NHS guidance for natural teeth, brushing for two minutes twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between teeth once a day, maps neatly onto a fixed bridge.

A routine that works for most people runs like this:

• Morning and night: brush the outer, inner and biting surfaces of the bridge with a soft brush, angling the bristles toward the gum line where the pink flange meets your tissue.
• Once a day, usually at night: thread spongy implant floss or a floss threader under the bridge and draw it along the tunnel in sections, wrapping it around each abutment in a shoeshine motion.
• Where it fits: pass a small interdental brush through the gaps beside each abutment, choosing a size that slides in without force.
• Finish: flush the tunnel with a water flosser on a low to medium setting, aiming the tip along the gum line and under the flange.

Night cleaning deserves priority because saliva flow drops during sleep, and saliva is the mouth’s natural rinse. Anything left under the bridge at bedtime sits undisturbed for seven or eight hours.

Expect the full routine to take five to ten minutes at first and less once your hands learn the geography. People who had periodontal disease before losing their teeth, which is a common route to full-arch implants, often find the habits familiar. People who lost teeth to decay or trauma sometimes have to build the habit from nothing, and that is worth saying aloud to your hygienist rather than guessing.

Which toothbrush and toothpaste work on a fixed implant bridge?

Soft bristles, always. The gum tissue around implants is more delicate than the tissue around natural teeth, and the polished titanium of an exposed abutment scratches more easily than enamel. Scratches hold bacteria. A medium or hard brush offers no cleaning advantage and a real downside.

Manual or electric is a matter of dexterity and preference. The NHS notes that both can clean effectively when used properly for two minutes. An electric brush with a small round head reaches the curved inner surfaces of a bridge well, and many people with arthritis or limited grip find the larger handle easier to hold. A manual brush gives finer control at the gum line. Some people keep both.

Two specialty shapes earn their place beside the sink:

• An end-tuft brush has a single small cluster of bristles. It reaches the back of the last tooth on the bridge and the junction where the flange meets the gum behind the molars, areas a full-size head skates over.
• A sulcus brush has two narrow rows of bristles designed to tuck into the groove at the gum line, useful along the inside of the lower arch.

On toothpaste, the main point is what to avoid. Highly abrasive formulas, including many marketed for whitening or stain removal, can dull acrylic and roughen titanium over time. A standard fluoride toothpaste is appropriate; the fluoride protects any remaining natural teeth in the opposing arch, and a non-abrasive paste is kind to the bridge. Your dental team may suggest a low-abrasion gel if your bridge is acrylic.

Replace brush heads when the bristles splay, which for most people falls around every three months, the interval the NHS recommends for ordinary brushes. Splayed bristles clean poorly and can catch under the flange.

How to floss under All on 6: superfloss, threaders and interdental brushes

Ordinary floss cannot get under a fixed bridge because there is no gap between teeth to drop through. Three tools solve that problem, and most people settle on one or two.

Spongy implant floss, widely known as superfloss, has three parts in one strand: a stiff end that threads under the bridge like a needle, a thick spongy middle that scrubs the underside, and a regular floss section for any natural teeth. Thread the stiff end under the flange from the cheek side, grasp it on the tongue side, and pull through until the spongy section sits in the tunnel. Move it back and forth along a stretch of the bridge, then wrap it around the nearest abutment and work it up and down a few times. Pull it out, move to the next section, and repeat around the arch. Six abutments means six wrap points.

Floss threaders are flexible plastic loops. You feed a length of regular or tape floss through the loop, then pass the threader under the bridge. They are cheaper per use but fiddlier, and thin floss covers less surface than the spongy variety.

Interdental brushes are tiny bottle brushes on a wire or plastic stem. They clean the triangular spaces beside each abutment better than floss because the bristles contact more surface. Size is everything: too small cleans nothing, too large forces the wire against the gum. Some manufacturers coat the wire in plastic to protect titanium from scratching, and a plastic-coated or all-plastic stem is the sensible choice around implants.

Technique improves quickly with a mirror and good light. Many hygienists will watch you do a full pass at your first maintenance visit and correct the hand position on the spot. Ask for that.

Can I use a water flosser to clean my dental implants?

Yes, and for most people with a full-arch bridge it becomes the most used tool on the counter. A water flosser is a small pump that sends a pulsing jet of water through a handheld tip. It flushes loose food and disrupts soft biofilm in places a brush cannot reach. It does not replace mechanical cleaning with floss or interdental brushes, because the jet cannot scrub firmly attached plaque off a surface the way bristles do, but as a flushing step it is hard to beat under a fixed bridge.

A few points of technique make the difference between a wet shirt and a clean tunnel:

• Start on the lowest pressure setting and increase gradually only if the gum tolerates it. Healing tissue and inflamed tissue bleed and sting at high pressure.
• Lean over the sink with the lips nearly closed around the tip, letting water drain out rather than spraying.
• Trace the gum line slowly on the cheek side, then the tongue side, pausing at each abutment. Aim the jet at a slight angle into the gap under the flange rather than straight at the gum.
• Use lukewarm water. Cold water can make sensitive tissue ache.

Some units come with a slimmer tip designed for implants and bridges, with a soft rubber or tapered end that slides partly under the flange. Any tip works if the angle is right; the specialist tips simply make the angle easier.

One caution applies to the first weeks after surgery. Directing a water jet at a healing wound can disturb the clot and the delicate gum seal forming around the implants. Most surgical teams ask patients to hold off on the water flosser until they say otherwise, which is covered in the timeline section. After that point, daily use is reasonable and usually encouraged.

What is the best cleaner for dental implants? What the evidence actually shows

People search this question hoping for a single product, and the honest answer is that the evidence points to a method rather than a bottle. Mainstream guidance from the NHS, Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic describes implant care in the same terms as natural-tooth care: mechanical plaque removal twice daily, cleaning between and beneath structures daily, and regular professional review. No rinse, gel or tablet has been shown in large trials to substitute for those steps.

That said, a few categories come up in clinics, and it helps to know what each does:

• Fluoride toothpaste protects any natural teeth you still have and is harmless to the bridge when low in abrasives.
• Antiseptic mouth rinses containing agents such as chlorhexidine reduce bacterial counts in the short term. Dental teams sometimes recommend them for a limited period after surgery or during treatment of gum inflammation, because longer use can stain acrylic and alter taste. This is a decision for your dentist, not a routine habit to adopt on your own.
• Non-alcohol fluoride rinses are an option for people who like a rinse step; alcohol-based formulas can dry the mouth and irritate the tissue around implants.
• Effervescent denture tablets are designed for removable appliances soaked in a cup. They have no role for a bridge that stays in the mouth.

Products marketed with words like “implant safe” or “titanium friendly” are usually low-abrasion pastes or coated interdental brushes. The claim is reasonable but not a reason to pay more than you would for any gentle paste.

If anything deserves the title of best cleaner, it is the spongy floss and interdental brush combination, because those are the tools that physically remove the biofilm that causes trouble. Everything else is support.

Who follows this routine straight away, and who is asked to wait?

The full cleaning routine is for people with a healed, final All-on-6 bridge. That is most people reading this, and for them the only real question is building the habit. A few groups are asked to modify or delay parts of it, and the reasons are worth understanding rather than simply obeying.

People in the first days after surgery have open wounds under a temporary bridge. Flossing under the flange or using a water jet can pull on sutures and disturb healing. Surgical teams typically ask for gentle brushing of the bridge surfaces only, plus rinsing as instructed, until the first review.

People still wearing a temporary bridge, which is usually acrylic and often fitted closer to the gum to protect the surgical site, may be given a simpler routine. The temporary is also softer and more prone to staining from antiseptic rinses, so instructions can differ from the final-bridge routine.

People with limited hand function, from arthritis, stroke or neurological conditions, may need adapted tools: electric brushes with thick handles, water flossers with longer hoses, or help from a family member or carer for the under-bridge step. Occupational therapists and hygienists can often suggest modifications.

People who smoke or have diabetes are not asked to wait, but they are usually asked to do more. Mayo Clinic and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research both identify smoking and poorly controlled blood sugar as factors that impair gum healing and raise the risk of inflammation around implants. For these groups, maintenance visits tend to be scheduled more often and home cleaning is scrutinized more closely.

Finally, anyone whose bridge feels loose, or who notices a new gap opening under the flange, should pause the usual routine and get the bridge checked. Cleaning around a loose screw can push debris deeper.

What do the first days and weeks after All-on-6 surgery look like for cleaning?

The timeline below describes a typical course. Your surgeon’s written instructions override anything here, because the details depend on how the implants were placed, whether bone grafting was done, and how your tissue is healing.

Days 1 to 3. Swelling peaks and the gums are tender. Cleaning usually means a gentle salt-water or prescribed rinse after meals and careful brushing of the bridge’s biting and outer surfaces with a very soft brush, staying away from the gum line. No flossing under the bridge and no water flosser. Soft, cool foods reduce debris.

Week 1 to 2. Sutures are often removed or dissolve around this time. The surgical team checks the tissue and usually allows brushing closer to the gum line. Some teams introduce a water flosser on its lowest setting at this review; others wait longer.

Weeks 2 to 8. The gum seal around the abutments matures. Spongy floss and small interdental brushes are typically introduced once the team confirms the tissue can tolerate them. This is the phase where most people learn the full routine, ideally with a hygienist demonstrating it.

Months 3 to 6. Mayo Clinic notes that osseointegration, the bone bonding to the implants, takes several months. During this window many people are still in a temporary bridge. The final bridge is fitted once the surgeon is satisfied the implants are stable, and the cleaning routine is reviewed again because the shape and gap height of the final bridge differ from the temporary.

Bleeding when you first start cleaning under the bridge is common and usually reflects mild inflammation from the days when the area could not be reached. If it settles within a week or two of consistent cleaning, that is reassuring. If it persists or worsens, it is a reason to be seen.

All on 6 maintenance visits: what happens at a professional cleaning

Home care handles the daily film. Professional maintenance handles what home care cannot: hardened deposits, the underside of the bridge where no tool quite reaches, and the early signs of trouble that are invisible from the bathroom mirror. The NHS advises that recall intervals for dental review are set individually, ranging from three months to two years depending on risk. For full-arch implant patients, teams usually choose the shorter end of that range, particularly in the first year.

A typical maintenance visit includes several distinct steps:

• Tissue check. The hygienist or dentist looks for redness, swelling and bleeding on gentle probing around each abutment, and records it so change can be tracked.
• Bridge inspection. Chips, wear on the biting surfaces, and any movement are checked. A loose bridge is sometimes first noticed as a clicking sound or a new food trap.
• Cleaning with implant-safe instruments. Plastic, titanium or carbon-fiber scalers and special polishing tips are used instead of standard steel instruments, which can score the titanium surface. Air polishing with a fine powder is often used around implants.
• Removal of the bridge, at some visits but not all. Because the bridge is screw-retained, it can be unscrewed, cleaned thoroughly outside the mouth, and the abutments cleaned directly. Many teams do this once a year or when tissue findings suggest it is needed. New screws are sometimes used when the bridge goes back on.
• Radiographs at intervals to monitor the bone level around each implant, since bone loss can occur without pain.
• Home-care review. The hygienist asks what you actually do, watches your technique, and adjusts tool sizes.

These appointments take longer than a routine clean of natural teeth, often an hour, and bridge removal visits longer still. Skipping them is the most common way a manageable problem becomes an expensive one, and the reason the maintenance interval is set by your team rather than left to habit.

How to clean All on 6 at a glance: tools compared

Most people end up with four or five tools in rotation. The table summarizes what each one is for, how often it is used, and the common mistake with each. None of these replaces the others; the routine works because the tools overlap.

Tool	What it cleans	Typical frequency	Common mistake
Soft toothbrush (manual or electric)	Outer, inner and biting surfaces; gum line at the flange	Twice daily, two minutes	Hard bristles or scrubbing pressure that scratches titanium
End-tuft brush	Behind the last tooth; flange corners at the back of the arch	Once daily	Skipping it because the main brush “seems to reach”
Spongy implant floss (superfloss)	The full tunnel under the bridge; around each abutment	Once daily	Pulling it straight through without wrapping the abutments
Interdental brush, plastic-coated	Gaps beside each abutment	Once daily where it fits	Forcing a size that is too large against the gum
Water flosser	Flushing loose debris from under the flange	Once or twice daily after healing	High pressure aimed straight at tender tissue
Fluoride toothpaste, low abrasion	Protects opposing natural teeth; gentle on acrylic	With each brushing	Whitening pastes that dull the bridge
Professional maintenance visit	Hardened deposits, bridge underside, bone monitoring	Interval set by your team, often 3–6 months	Treating it as optional once the bridge feels fine

Two patterns stand out. First, the mechanical tools, floss and interdental brushes, do the work of removing attached plaque; the water flosser and rinses clear what has already been loosened. Second, the professional visit is the only line in the table that monitors bone, which is the structure that ultimately decides whether the implants last. A routine that is strong at home and weak on recall leaves the most important variable unwatched.

What is peri-implantitis, and why does cleaning matter so much?

Two terms come up at every implant maintenance visit, and it helps to know them before you hear them. Peri-implant mucositis is inflammation confined to the soft gum tissue around an implant, without bone loss; it is the implant equivalent of gingivitis and is generally reversible with better cleaning and professional care. Peri-implantitis is inflammation that has progressed to loss of the supporting bone around the implant; it is the implant equivalent of periodontitis and much harder to manage.

The mechanism is the same bacterial film that drives gum disease around natural teeth. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research explains that plaque left along the gum line triggers an immune response, and the chronic inflammation that follows destroys the tissue and bone that hold a tooth, or an implant, in place. Under a full-arch bridge, that film has a protected tunnel in which to mature, which is why daily disruption matters more here than almost anywhere else in the mouth.

Bone loss around implants often causes no pain. People sometimes describe a vague bad taste, a bridge that traps more food than it used to, or bleeding when they clean, but many notice nothing until a radiograph at a maintenance visit shows the change. Cleveland Clinic lists peri-implantitis among the main reasons implants can fail, and it also notes that smoking, diabetes and poor oral hygiene raise that risk.

Treatment, when it is needed, sits with your dental team and can include deeper professional cleaning of the exposed implant surface, a short course of antiseptic rinse, and in more advanced cases surgical access to clean and sometimes rebuild bone. These are specialist decisions. The reader’s job is prevention: the daily routine, the recall visits, and prompt attention to bleeding or swelling rather than hoping it passes.

What people often get wrong about cleaning All-on-6 teeth

The myths around fixed implant bridges tend to come from two directions: people who assume artificial teeth need no care, and people who treat them as fragile objects that must not be touched. Both lead to trouble.

“They’re not real teeth, so they can’t get disease.” The teeth cannot decay, but the gum and bone around the implants can become inflamed exactly as described above. The bridge is only as healthy as the tissue holding it up.

“A water flosser does the whole job.” Flushing removes loose debris. It does not scrub attached biofilm from the underside of the flange or the abutment surfaces. Mechanical cleaning with floss or brushes remains essential.

“Bleeding means I’m cleaning too hard, so I should stop.” Early bleeding usually signals inflammation from plaque that has been sitting there, and it typically improves with consistent gentle cleaning. Bleeding that persists beyond a couple of weeks or gets worse is a reason to be seen, not a reason to clean less.

“If nothing hurts, nothing is wrong.” Bone loss around implants is frequently painless. This is the single strongest argument for keeping maintenance visits even when everything feels fine.

“Denture tablets will clean it.” Those products are for appliances soaked in a cup. A fixed bridge cannot be soaked, and the chemicals were not designed for contact with gum tissue over time.

“Whitening toothpaste will keep the bridge bright.” Abrasive pastes dull acrylic and can roughen titanium; neither surface responds to whitening agents the way enamel does. Staining is addressed by professional polishing.

“Once the bridge is on, the surgery is over.” Mayo Clinic frames implant treatment as ongoing, with lifelong maintenance as part of the plan. The bridge is a beginning, not a finish line.

Questions to ask your care team about cleaning your All-on-6 bridge

Most of the variation between one person’s routine and another’s comes from the bridge itself: how high the gap is, what material it is made of, and how the abutments are arranged. The following questions help you turn general advice into instructions that fit your mouth. Bring them to the fitting appointment for the final bridge or to your first maintenance visit.

• Can you show me, with a mirror, exactly where the gap under the bridge is and how I should angle the floss and brush into it?
• Which size of interdental brush fits beside each abutment, and are the sizes different on the left and right or front and back?
• When may I start using a water flosser, and at what pressure setting?
• Is my bridge acrylic or zirconia, and does that change which toothpaste or rinse I should use?
• How often do you want to see me for maintenance in the first year, and how will that change afterward?
• At which visits will you remove the bridge for cleaning, and how will I know if it needs to come off sooner?
• How often will you take radiographs to check the bone around the implants?
• What signs would you want me to call about between visits rather than wait?
• Are there any of my remaining natural teeth, in the opposing arch, that need extra attention because they now bite against the bridge?
• If I struggle with hand strength, what adapted tools or help would you suggest?
• Do you recommend an antiseptic rinse at any point, and for how long?
• If I grind my teeth at night, do I need a protective guard over the bridge?

Write the answers down. Routines drift over months, and the instructions you receive at the fitting are easy to forget by the time the novelty of chewing comfortably has worn off. A short note taped inside the bathroom cabinet is low technology and surprisingly effective.

When to call your doctor

Cleaning problems and early inflammation are common and usually manageable when caught early, which is the whole point of knowing what to watch for. Contact your dental or surgical team promptly, rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit, if you notice any of the following:

• Bleeding or soreness under or around the bridge that persists for more than one to two weeks despite daily cleaning, or that is getting worse.
• Swelling, redness or a tender lump in the gum near any of the implants.
• Pus, a persistent bad taste or bad breath that does not clear with cleaning.
• Any movement, clicking or rocking of the bridge, or a new gap opening between the flange and your gum.
• A chipped or fractured tooth on the bridge, or a sharp edge cutting your tongue or cheek.
• Pain on chewing on one side that was not there before, which can signal a loose screw or an inflamed implant.
• Numbness or tingling in the lip, chin or tongue that is new or has not resolved after surgery.

Seek urgent care the same day, through an emergency dental service or, if unavailable, an urgent care or emergency department, if you have facial swelling that is spreading toward the eye or down the neck, difficulty swallowing or breathing, a fever with mouth pain, or bleeding that will not stop with steady pressure. These can indicate a spreading infection and need prompt assessment.

None of these signs means the implants have failed. Most are addressed with a professional cleaning, an adjustment, or a short course of treatment decided by your team. What they share is that they rarely improve on their own, and the sooner the tissue is examined, the simpler the response tends to be. If you are unsure whether something is worth a call, make the call; the team would rather reassure you than see the problem later.

Frequently asked questions

How do I clean All on 6 dental implants every day?

Brush all surfaces of the bridge twice a day with a soft brush and low-abrasion fluoride toothpaste, then once a day thread spongy implant floss under the bridge, wrap it around each of the six abutments, pass a correctly sized interdental brush through the gaps, and finish by flushing under the flange with a water flosser on a low setting. Night cleaning matters most because saliva flow drops during sleep.

Can I use a water flosser to clean my dental implants?

Yes, once your surgical team confirms the gums have healed. A water flosser flushes loose food and softens biofilm under a fixed bridge, which a brush cannot reach. Start on the lowest pressure, angle the tip along the gum line and under the flange, and use lukewarm water. It complements floss and interdental brushes rather than replacing them.

What is the best cleaner for dental implants?

No single product has been shown to replace mechanical cleaning. The combination that removes the most biofilm is spongy implant floss plus plastic-coated interdental brushes, supported by a soft brush, a low-abrasion fluoride toothpaste and a water flosser. Antiseptic rinses are sometimes recommended by a dentist for a limited period, but long-term use can stain acrylic.

How do I floss under All on 6 teeth?

Use spongy implant floss or a floss threader. Push the stiff end under the bridge from the cheek side, pull it through on the tongue side until the spongy section sits in the gap, then slide it back and forth and wrap it around the nearest abutment in a shoeshine motion. Repeat section by section around the arch, covering all six abutments.

How often do I need All on 6 maintenance visits?

Your dental team sets the interval based on your risk. NHS guidance places recall intervals between three months and two years, and full-arch implant patients are usually seen toward the shorter end, often every three to six months, especially in the first year. Some visits include removing the bridge for thorough cleaning and taking radiographs to monitor bone levels.

Why does my All on 6 bridge trap so much food?

The bridge sits slightly above the gum on purpose, leaving a tunnel that allows cleaning and prevents tissue being crushed. Food enters that tunnel from both sides during chewing. A small amount of trapping is normal and is managed with daily cleaning; a sudden increase in trapping can signal gum recession, a loose bridge or wear, and is worth mentioning to your team.

Is it normal for my gums to bleed when I clean under the bridge?

Mild bleeding is common when you first start cleaning under the bridge, because plaque that sat there during healing has caused some inflammation. It typically settles within one to two weeks of consistent gentle cleaning. Bleeding that persists beyond that, worsens, or comes with swelling or a bad taste should be checked by your dental team.

When can I start cleaning under the bridge after All-on-6 surgery?

Usually only after your surgical team confirms the gum seal around the implants has healed, which for many people falls somewhere between the second and eighth week, though timing varies. Before that, cleaning is typically limited to gentle brushing of the bridge surfaces and rinsing as instructed. Always follow your own written post-operative instructions over general timelines.

What toothpaste should I use with an All-on-6 bridge?

A standard fluoride toothpaste with low abrasivity is appropriate. Fluoride protects any natural teeth that bite against the bridge, and a gentle formula avoids dulling acrylic or roughening titanium. Avoid pastes marketed for whitening or heavy stain removal, which rely on abrasives. Ask your team whether your bridge is acrylic or zirconia, since acrylic is more prone to surface wear.

Can an All-on-6 bridge get gum disease?

The artificial teeth cannot decay, but the gum and bone around the implants can become inflamed by plaque in the same way natural teeth develop gum disease. Early inflammation of the gum alone is called peri-implant mucositis and is generally reversible; inflammation with bone loss is called peri-implantitis and is harder to manage, which is why daily cleaning and regular maintenance visits matter.

References

• Cleveland Clinic: Dental Implants
• NHS: How to keep your teeth clean
• NIH National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research: Gum Disease
• MedlinePlus: Dental Health

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.