![]() ![]() Toothpicks are designed to “dislodge” particles of food from your teeth and you should be pretty careful not to go much beyond that. So, who’s right? Let’s take a closer look and see if we can decide. On the other end of the spectrum… Mom always reminded us, “don’t forget to floss before bed!” And after every meal, Grandpa kicked back with toothpick in hand and began his handywork. Grandma and Grandpa always had a little shot glass/cup thingy in the middle of their dining table filled with toothpicks for after dinner. (And in case you’re wondering… Yes, at Columbia River Dentistry we are dental nerds and do sit around debating topics like this. The question becomes this: When random particles of food decide to snuggle themselves in for a midwinter’s nap under your gumline or between your molars, do you reach for a toothpick or do you reach for some dental floss? There are a million things that get stuck in our teeth every day like toffee, bread, meat and more… So, what’s the best way to get stuff out of our teeth? It’s the worst, right! And don’t get us started about corn on the cobb! The interdental brushes are something that your dentist can show you and tell you which size will best fit your mouth.Īlthough you can buy them completely at your Pharmacy or Chemist, we will tell our patients which size is best for them, give them one to try for which they can then get the refills from their local Pharmacy.You’re enjoying some nice buttery popcorn as you kick back and watch a movie, and then it happens… I recommend flossing daily at a minimum – twice a day is even better. 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. 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. Once the floss is in between your teeth it is important to pull the floss against the side of each tooth. Wrap the floss around your index fingers and slide it gently between the teeth. This is a great opportunity to recap on the best way to floss your teeth. Personally, toothpicks are my least favoured way of cleaning food stuck between teeth – the best solution for cleaning in between your teeth is floss or an interdental brush. If you do use toothpicks often then your dentist will also be able to check if you are causing any damage to your gums. ![]() If these problems, particularly the last one, are not rectified then they can lead to greater problems such as decay on the root of teeth and that can progress really quickly. ![]() The possible reasons for getting food stuck in between your teeth on a regular basis could be: fillings that aren’t shaped properly, teeth that have shifted or even a hole in a tooth that is allowing food to get jammed in there. Getting food stuck in between your teeth often? It really isn’t healthy to regularly get food stuck in between your teeth. However, if you are regularly getting food caught in between your teeth then you really need to check with your dentist as to why this might be. Naturally the greater the frequency with which you use a toothpick, then the greater the chance of damaging your gums. If you do it gently then toothpicks are OK but there are better things, such as floss to get food out. They are not recommended anymore, simply because there are products on the market now that will do a better job of removing food stuck between the teeth, such as floss or interdental brushes. Also known as Interdental cleaning sticks, these were very soft sticks like balsa wood that were recommended by dentists. There were some cleaners, which were produced as an alternative to floss called ‘Interdents’. There may be a better solution than a toothpick The short answer is that if you use a toothpick, wooden or plastic, gently and carefully then it may not damage your teeth – but it is more likely to damage the gum. – Question from Natalie of Mt Gravatt, Brisbane Dental Hygienist, Carlene Franklin replies: My flat mate keeps telling me it not safe to use toothpicks but he is not a dentist!” ![]() “I do floss after every meal and brush my teeth twice a day. Is it safe to use a toothpick to remove food stuck between my teeth after a meal? ![]()
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