Quit Stabbing Away at Your Gums! A Word of Caution About Toothpicks

Many people consider steak to be among the tastiest foods on Earth, and the pleasure of eating this delicious cut is in no small part due to its chewy and sinewy texture. Since steak has a way of getting caught between your teeth, many restaurants offer guests toothpicks at their front doors to help them remove troublesome debris. Here’s a brief guide to how improper toothpick use can harm your oral health as well as the benefits of flossing.

What’s So Bad About Toothpicks?

Toothpicks aren’t significant threats to your oral health as long as you don’t use them too frequently and always take care to be gentle with them. Stabbing away at a stubborn piece of debris can result in injuries to your gums and enamel, resulting in unsightly chips and cracks and making infections more likely. Some people also chew on toothpicks, which can wear away your teeth and leave microscopic splinters that can cause gum injuries floating around in your mouth.

How Should I Clean Between My Teeth?

Cleaning each surface of your smile regularly is essential to ensuring their long-term health, and toothbrushes cannot properly access the tiny gaps between your teeth. Thankfully, dental floss is an affordable and effective way to eliminate plaque and stubborn food debris from between teeth to reduce the risk of infections, bad breath, and unsightly dental stains. It’s best to floss at least once a day, but flossing between meals is even better.

What if I Can’t Remove an Object with Floss?

It’s possible for some patients to have a particularly stubborn bit of debris stuck between their teeth that they cannot get out with floss. If this happens to you, do not attempt to remove the offending object with any sharp tool such as a toothpick or tweezers, as this may injure your teeth and gums. Instead, contact your emergency dentist so they can safely and gently remove the debris in their office.

Abusing toothpicks can put you on the fast-track to oral injuries and infection. Make sure that flossing is your primary way of cleaning between your teeth.

About the Author

Dr. Mark Gerome earned his dental degree at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry and has been selected as a Top Dentist by Cincinnati Magazine since 2012. He is proud to serve as a member of the American Dental Association and the Cincinnati Dental Society. His office in Loveland offers general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry. If you are worried about something stuck between your teeth, contact his office online or dial (513) 402-0165.