Income taxes - Reconciliations between statutory federal income tax rate and effective income tax rate (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Federal statutory rate	21.00%	21.00%	21.00%
Tax effect of international items	(5.30%)	(11.30%)	(3.30%)
Impacts of the TCJA	0	0	(0.010)
Legal entity merger - deferred taxes	0.00%	(38.00%)	0.00%
Excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation	(4.90%)	(4.50%)	(7.20%)
State taxes, net of federal benefit	(0.30%)	(4.90%)	(0.10%)
Uncertain tax contingencies	(0.50%)	0.00%	(0.40%)
Contingent consideration	(2.20%)	3.40%	5.30%
Intellectual property impairment charge	(1.20%)	0.00%	(2.00%)
Research and development tax credit	(1.10%)	(1.10%)	(1.60%)
Other, net	0.60%	(0.50%)	(0.10%)
Effective income tax rate, total	6.10%	(35.90%)	10.60%
Increase (decrease) in deferred tax liability due to merger of foreign subsidiaries	$ (129.0)

Effective income tax rate reconciliation contingent consideration reversals.

No definition available.

Name:	tfx_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationContingentConsiderationReversals
Namespace Prefix:	tfx_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Legal Entity Merger, Percent

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	tfx_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationLegalEntityMergerPercent
Namespace Prefix:	tfx_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Increase (Decrease) In Deferred Tax Liability, Merger Of Foreign Subsidiaries

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	tfx_IncreaseDecreaseInDeferredTaxLiabilityMergerOfForeignSubsidiaries
Namespace Prefix:	tfx_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 6.I.Fact.4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116825942&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 6.I.Fact.4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116825942&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInEnactedTaxRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to statutory income tax expense (benefit) outside of the country of domicile.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 6.I.Fact.4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116825942&loc=d3e330036-122817

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying domestic federal statutory income tax rate to pretax income (loss) from continuing operation, attributable to nondeductible expense for share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseShareBasedCompensationCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to state and local income tax expense (benefit), net of federal tax expense (benefit).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SAB Topic 6.I.Fact.4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116825942&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to income tax contingencies. Includes, but not limited to, domestic tax contingency, foreign tax contingency, state and local tax contingency, and other contingencies.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxContingencies
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCreditsResearch
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of reported income tax expense (benefit) in excess of (less than) expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying domestic federal statutory income tax rate to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations, attributable to Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCutsAndJobsActOf2017Percent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration