Toothpicks are round wooden sticks with sharp tips used for picking out food stuck in between the teeth. The urge to use toothpicks arise when there are strands of meat stuck between the teeth which can be very annoying until gotten rid of. Regular and inappropriate use of toothpicks cause widening of the space between the teeth. This leads to more plaque packing in the space created by the toothpick causing damage to the supporting structures of the teeth which leads to the tooth/teeth being shaky. The improper use results from forcing the toothpick in and making it enter the inter-dental space(space between the teeth). Note: a toothpick was created to gently pick out food but when we find ourselves digging in, then, gradual damage sets in.
Aside from the widening of the inter-dental space and shaky teeth, the toothpick could also break while in use and may get stuck between the teeth causing pain and discomfort. People who use toothpicks frequently usually have a strong urge to poke in between the teeth even if they haven’t eaten anything that may have gotten stuck. They also find themselves sucking between the teeth sometimes which is a habit that is harmful to the health of their teeth.
The key to preventing this is stopping the use of toothpicks and imbibing the healthy habit of flossing. Dentists recommend using dental floss at least once daily to get rid of food particles stuck between the teeth. The dental floss is a thread-like material which slips in and out of the spaces between the teeth with ease.
It is designed to go between the teeth without causing damage to the surrounding tissues; it also gets food particles out completely and faster than the toothpicks.
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