From the Other Side of the Drill #4: Toothpicking vs. floss
Me:
I have a friend that swears he doesn’t have to floss if he uses a toothpick after every meal. Is that cool, or no?
Melynda (My dentist and my lovely Wife):
Toothpicking can actually be a good method of removing plaque from between the teeth. Most people only use the tooth pick to get big pieces of meat, etc., that gets stuck between their teeth. Another problem with toothpicks is that you could really do some damage to your delicate gum tissue with those sharp ends! Of course, I would always recommend using floss as your primary means of interproximal (That’s between your teeth - ed.) plaque removal. But, by using a gentle touch and cleaning in between the gums and the tooth, all the way around each tooth, a toothpick can prove to be a fair substitute for regular floss.
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