August 23, 2019

Why Toothpicks are Bad for You

There are moments when you eat something and it gets stuck in between your tooth. In order to get rid of it, a few people have the habit of using a toothpick. But is using a toothpick safe?

The toothpicks that we get in the market today are made up of either plastic or wood. Once in a while when you use it gently it can be fine. But when you use toothpicks frequently and aggressively on your tooth, it can pose danger for both the teeth as well as the gums.

A toothpick should only be used to dislodge large food particles between teeth. It should be used in a way so that the gums or teeth are not harmed. If you have large spaces where food gets caught constantly you can talk to your dentist about ways to close them. A toothpick should NOT take the place of floss. Floss is more effective in removing the food particles and plaque that forms between teeth and should be part of your Daily Oral hygiene routine.

Wrap the floss around your index fingers and slide it gently between the teeth. Once the floss is in between your teeth it is important to pull the floss against the side of each tooth. Rather than a straight up and down movement you want to wrap the floss around the tooth towards the front of the mouth and slide it up and down 3-4 times. Go as deep as you can under the gum as you can without hurting yourself all the way up to where the tooth makes contact with the adjoining tooth.

We recommend flossing daily at a minimum – twice a day is even better. Brushing and flossing your teeth will always do a better cleaning job than poking a stick around your mouth.