Dr Maria Goretti Nakyonyi
Last week I mentioned an issue as regards caution on using toothpicks. This comes in to emphasize that point. I understand most of us have gone to the restaurant and we find toothpicks at the table. Of course after a meat meal, I often see people using the picks to remove meat remnants from in between their teeth.
Toothpicks have been around for centuries commonly made out of wood and a few from plastic.
Dangers of toothpicks
- As you use the toothpick, you often pock downwards towards the gum, this causes gum irritation and bleeding in the long run you get gingivitis (a disease involving inflammation of the gums)
- Most of the times as you try to pock you are aggressive therefore risking the breakage of the pick in between the teeth. You could also accidentally swallow it especially for the wooden type. It is not so common to swallow the plastic type since it has a high flexural strength although it can also break!
- As you clean using the toothpick, you try to wedge it between little space that naturally exists in between teeth. This creates a widened space. The “black triangle” that has been created because of the continuous use of the pick destroys the gum and reduces the bone height that is supporting the teeth in between.
- In addition, as you are always aggressive, you may wear down the enamel (outer layer of the tooth) leaving your tooth at risk of getting interproximal dental caries (holes found in between teeth).
It is important you clean in between your teeth so as to avoid food getting trapped there that can predispose you to getting cavities, bone loss and gingivitis.
Advice: Exchange the toothpick for dental floss for an effective clean!
You can visit your dentist to show you how to clean in between your teeth using dental floss.
Dr Nakyonyi is a Dental Surgeon
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