After eating popcorn in a movie theater or some delicious carnitas, what’s the first thing that you reach for? For most people, it’s a toothpick to wedge out the shredded pork or popcorn kernel from between their teeth. You may even keep a pack of toothpicks on you and always have one in your mouth—that isn’t uncommon for a Texan! What you may not be considering is how picking at your teeth with a toothpick may actually harm your smile instead of help it. Read on to learn just how that is and some safer alternative options.
3 Potential Oral Health Risks of Using Toothpicks
There are a number of risks associated with using toothpicks to try to dislodge food from between your teeth. Some of these include:
- Poking and damaging your gums. The ends of toothpicks are sharp, meaning they can easily pierce your gums and lead to bleeding and potentially infection.
- Pushing food deeper between your teeth or in your gumline. There’s always a possibility that using a toothpick will make the issue even worse by pushing the debris further down into your gumline or the pockets of your gums.
- Damaging your tooth enamel. On the outermost layer of your teeth, enamel acts to protect against decay. If you’re scraping it with a toothpick, it’s possible that you could damage this protective layer of your teeth and affect your oral health.
Tooth-Safe Alternatives to Toothpicks
Instead of reaching for a toothpick whenever you have something stuck between your teeth, try one of these tooth- and gum-safe alternatives:
- Dental floss or floss picks. These are great to take with you on-the-go and can safely allow you to dislodge food from between your teeth, all without damaging your gums! Just be sure you don’t snap the floss against your gums or teeth.
- A water flosser. Water flossers are ideal for at-home use and can be more comfortable and easier to use than dental floss or floss picks because they shoot a stream of water between your teeth. All that’s required of you is to aim at the area where food is stuck and turn it on!
- An interdental brush. These are typically recommended for patients undergoing orthodontic treatment, as they’re very small brushes that are designed to fit between the archwire and teeth, but they can also be used for those without braces to remove food!
What to Do if You Can’t Dislodge Food from Your Teeth
If you accidentally damage your gums using a toothpick or you aren’t able to dislodge debris from between your teeth, you can always reach out to your emergency dentist in Midlothian. They can use specially crafted instruments to effortlessly remove food or objects from between your teeth or along your gumline without damaging your smile.
In short, although a toothpick may be the most readily accessible instrument you have to wiggle a shred of bothersome chicken out from between your teeth, it isn’t always the safest option! If you know you have better alternatives at home or in your car, like a flossing pick, wait until you can use one of those instead.
About the Practice
Long Family Dental of Midlothian is led by Dr. Chris Long and Dr. Robert Long, passionate brothers and dentists that are dedicated to carrying on their father’s legacy of providing outstanding, genuine, and personalized dental care. If you’re experiencing dental pain or you accidentally damage your teeth or gums, we encourage you to call 972-775-3192 to schedule a same-day emergency appointment, or visit our website for non-emergency assistance.