Why not use toothpicks?

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Trung Hau - Doctor of Odonto-Stomatology - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital. BSCK I Nguyen Trung Hau has more than 10 years of experience working in the field of Odonto-Stomatology, Dr. Hau especially has a lot of experience in maxillofacial surgery, cosmetic dentistry, Implant implants.

Why not use toothpicks ? This is a question many people have when they are in the habit of using toothpicks after every meal. Flossing is a bad habit. The structure of the teeth is lined up neatly, the gaps between the roots are filled by the gums and the roots.
People with neat teeth, there will be no gaps between the teeth. Some people often use toothpicks to floss their teeth, making the interdental spaces wider, making it easier for food to get in between the teeth.
The habit of flossing with a toothpick can remove excess food from between the teeth but can affect the teeth and gums. When flossing, it will accidentally use force, causing the roots of the teeth to gradually loosen, not only making food easier to enter but also easy to cause tooth decay.
If food leads to the root of the tooth, you should not use a toothpick, but:
Gargling is the simplest and easiest method to do. Note that you should use clean water or specialized mouthwash.

If not, you can use a toothbrush to brush your teeth, squeeze the brush close to your teeth and then brush up and down continuously. If that still does not work, you can use a thread to thread it through the teeth to pull it up and down. In case the above methods are not effective, it is necessary to use the needle tip to remove, but be careful not to damage the root organization. When necessary, seek medical help.

Here are the reasons why dentists recommend that you stop using toothpicks immediately:
Toothpicks cause tooth wear : Use a toothpick to poke between your teeth to remove food debris. cause tooth wear and lead to bleeding gums. Flossing with this toothpick continuously for a long time can damage all teeth. Causes gum disease: Using toothpicks regularly not only affects the teeth but also greatly affects the gums. If left untreated, this can lead to irreversible gum disease.

Unsightly: Regular flossing will create gaps between two teeth that are both unsightly and cause food to get stuck in between more. Enamel damage: Many people after using toothpicks often have a habit of biting or chewing toothpicks, which leads to enamel damage. Damage to the roots: When the gums are damaged by flossing with toothpicks, leading to the gums receding, it can cause damage to the roots, in some cases, cause pain. Destruction of patches: If there is use of artificial patches to protect teeth. Then the use of toothpicks can destroy this paste. Bad breath: Flossing with a toothpick may not remove all the food debris stuck between the teeth, thus causing bad breath. Because of the adverse reasons when using toothpicks mentioned above. Therefore, limit the use of toothpicks to avoid bad effects on the health of your teeth and gums. Instead of regularly using toothpicks, flossing will help remove food cleaner and not affect teeth and gums.