Aggregate Accounts Receivable, Net of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Parenthetical) (Detail) (Spain Italy Portugal And Greece, USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Spain Italy Portugal And Greece
Unusual Risk or Uncertainty [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, allowances	$ 6.3	$ 4.9

A provision for trade and other receivables due to an Entity within one year (or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer) that are expected to be uncollectible, an estimate for product returns, and an estimate for price protection.

No definition available.

Name:	tfx_AccountsReceivableAllowancesCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	tfx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant