{"id":123,"date":"2023-07-08T20:23:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-08T20:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.magnoliashoresfamilydental.com\/blog\/?p=123"},"modified":"2025-06-10T20:25:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T20:25:15","slug":"are-toothpicks-bad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.magnoliashoresfamilydental.com\/blog\/2023\/07\/08\/are-toothpicks-bad\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Toothpicks Bad for Your Teeth? It May Be Time to Rethink After-Meal Hygiene"},"content":{"rendered":"
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They\u2019re complimentary at almost every sit-down restaurant you\u2019ve ever seen. They seem cool and classy and they have a name that literally says, \u201cPick your teeth with me!\u201d They\u2019re called toothpicks, but are they suitable for the job for which they take their name? Research in emergency dentistry<\/a> says they can cause much oral havoc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Are Toothpicks Really that Bad?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Toothpicks seem easy and handy but using them carries real risks to your dental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, they can break and the splinters can lodge themselves in your gums. Worse than that, they can get so stuck in there that you might not be able to get them out yourself. You may need a trip to the dentist\u2019s office to remove them. Gum splinters can be quite painful and might lead to inflammation and infection if ignored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, some people like to chew on toothpicks. Chewing wood can irreversibly damage the enamel of your teeth. Chewing can even cause toothpicks to splinter, leading to the oral ailments already mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirdly, using unbroken toothpicks can damage dental work like fillings and veneers. Toothpicks can wedge themselves into gaps in these restorations which can break, loosen, or undo all the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, toothpick use can widen the space between teeth or expose more of the roots by shifting the gumline. This can leave the teeth exposed and lead to more cavity-causing stuck food. That\u2019s a lot of expensive damage to be done by a toothpick given out for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are the Alternatives?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, there are better ways to remove food from your teeth than toothpicks. One reason the act of flossing is so ideal for the job is that it is nearly impossible for floss to break in a way that could damage your teeth. Options include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n