{"id":107,"date":"2018-09-18T19:28:59","date_gmt":"2018-09-18T19:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fortlauderdalesmiles.com\/blog\/?p=107"},"modified":"2018-09-18T19:28:59","modified_gmt":"2018-09-18T19:28:59","slug":"dentist-galt-mile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fortlauderdalesmiles.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/dentist-galt-mile\/","title":{"rendered":"Can I Use a Toothpick to Clean My Teeth? Your Dentist in Galt Mile Explains"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Toothpicks.\"We\u2019ve all been there before. You just ate a nice meal, maybe you have to loosen the belt a little, but the food was perfection. On the way out of the restaurant, you notice that there\u2019s something left over from dinner in between your teeth so you grab one of the many toothpicks that the restaurant kindly offers. While this may be a quick fix to your problem, toothpicks can actually harm your mouth more than help it. Read on to see why you should avoid using toothpicks and what you should do instead from your dentist in Galt Mile.<\/p>\n

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Why Shouldn\u2019t I Use Toothpicks?<\/h2>\n

An expert dentist and spokesperson with the American Dental Association, Sally Cram, gives an analogy to her patients: \u201cWould you take a stick and poke it into your arm?\u201d The short answer is no. Toothpicks are okay to remove big chunks of food occasionally, but they should not take the place of regular daily flossing.<\/p>\n

The main problem or risk you take when using toothpicks is that a piece of wood can break off and get lodged in your gum tissue. Surprisingly enough, this isn\u2019t even the biggest issue toothpicks can cause. Once the piece of wood has pierced your gum tissue, bacteria can enter and cause infection. Dentists can usually tell if you are a habitual toothpick user because of damage on your gums during a dental exam. See below for more reasons you should avoid using toothpicks:<\/p>\n