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Yes, that toothpick could be making your gums recede
While it is normal for bits of food to get pushed into the spaces between your teeth as you chew, the tongue and cheeks can push even more debris into those gaps, making it more noticeable if there is the slightest opening.
After every meal, most people often reach for a toothpick to dislodge bits of food stuck between their teeth. It feels satisfying, almost like the final step of enjoying a good meal. But dentists warn that this simple habit, when done every day, can gradually damage the gums and change the shape of your smile.
Dr Serah Wanza, a dentist at Versatile Dental Solutions, says that frequent toothpick use puts pressure on the gums and, over time, can cause microtrauma that leads to inflammation and gum recession. Additionally, repeated use of toothpicks can create gaps between the teeth.
"It's not that the toothpick is pushing the teeth apart," Dr Wanza explains. "It's the gum tissue shrinking away because of repeated irritation and micro-injury."
As a result, gum recession develops, and before long, the triangular space between the teeth, from the point where they touch down to the level of the bone, which should be filled with healthy gum, becomes exposed.
In a healthy mouth, that space is naturally occupied by gum tissue known as the interdental papilla. When it recedes, it creates what dentists call "black triangles," the dark gaps that appear between teeth as the gums pull back.
While it is normal for bits of food to get pushed into the spaces between your teeth as you chew, the tongue and cheeks can push even more debris into those gaps, making it more noticeable if there is the slightest opening.
Can toothpicks cause infections?
"Yes, they can when the packaging is not individual and handling not hygienic. Secondly, when the wooden fragment fractures and is left in the interdental space, the body views it as a foreign body and inflammation ensues as a defence mechanism, and if unaddressed, it can progress to an infection."
The correct way to use a toothpick, according to Dr Wanza, is to do it in front of a mirror, where you can see what you are doing and you are not blindly poking your gums.
"You approach the tooth gently and parallel to the surface of the tooth, not downward into the gum. The goal is to lift the food out, not push anything in," she adds.
Is flossing any better?
When comparing a toothpick to dental floss, the main difference lies in what each can reach. Dr Wanza says, "A toothpick is thick, and it mostly just cleans the surface between the teeth, but if anything is sitting slightly under the gum, the toothpick can't really reach that. You can actually press the food even further under the gum instead of removing it."
String flossing, she adds, is definitely better than toothpicks, mainly because the latter cause gum recession over time. "You get the real benefits of flossing only if you do it consistently and correctly," Dr Wanza says.
"The proper technique involves letting the dental floss hug the surface of the tooth in a C-shaped curve. That way, the floss actually wraps around the tooth and can reach just below the gumline, where plaque and bacteria accumulate. Simply sliding floss up and down without that curve won't remove all the buildup."
Other than dental floss, Dr Wanza says there are also water flossers and interdental brushes that can help clean between the teeth.
"Interdental brushes are useful in certain cases, but I generally do not recommend them for people whose teeth are tightly spaced, because they may not fit properly and could injure the gums," she says.
For people with crowded teeth, a combination of water flossers and string floss is the best way forward. The biggest challenge with flossing, Dr Wanza says, is inconsistency and incorrect technique. "I recommend flossing at least once daily in the evening."
