The common toothpick, usually made from wood, is primarily used to remove food stuck in–between teeth.
Most wooden toothpicks in the United States come from birch trees in Maine, where the tree trunks are sliced into thin sheets and then cut and milled into individual toothpicks. While toothpicks work well to remove food trapped between teeth, they should be used only when dental floss is not readily available, and certainly not as an everyday replacement for floss.
Dentists can often tell if a patient is a habitual toothpick user by the telltale toothpick marks in his or her mouth. Overzealous toothpick users can cause serious problems in the mouth, including lacerated gums, damage to tooth enamel, chipping or breakage of dental veneers or bonding, and even worn tooth roots, especially where the gums have pulled away from the teeth to leave the root surfaces exposed.
While toothpicks can be a good occasional solution to cleaning teeth in a pinch, we would prefer to show you the proper flossing technique and have you develop a habit of flossing—instead of picking—on a daily basis.
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Dr. Librada C. Yamat is a Family Dentist specializing in Cosmetic Dentistry. She has been practicing since 1992 in her Daly City office located at 187 Southgate Ave. (650) 991-2832. Recently, Dr. Yamat opened another dental office in San Bruno (1001 San Bruno Ave., Tel. No. (650) 873-4740). She is president of the MCU Dental Alumni Association and former president of the American Federation of Filipino Dental Practitioners.