Pretty much everyone has had a small piece of food like meat fibers, popcorn hulls, fruit peels and even small hard seeds to become lodged between your teeth while you’re eating. In most cases these food particles can be cleared away by brushing and rinsing. However, there are times when a food particle can become stubbornly lodged between your teeth, causing pressure, discomfort and even pain.
First you should try to vigorously rinse the area with lukewarm saltwater. This might help to dislodge the food particle on its own. At the very least it will wash away any lingering food particles in the area to give you a better view of the problem.
If the piece of food is still stuck you shouldn’t attempt to use toothpicks or sharp, pointed tools to pry the object loose. This could injure your gums or even damage your teeth.
Waxed dental floss is the ideal tool for clearing the object from between your teeth. The waxy coating allows the strand to slide easier between teeth to worked around the foreign object. You should never force the floss into place, as it could seriously injure your gums.
A floss threader with wax coated floss can also be handy for working at the object from a different position. Sometimes a dental fountain or oral water jet can loosen debris.
If the object is still stubbornly lodged between your teeth, and it requires professional extraction, you should call Dr. Wynatte Chu at 347-868-6546 to schedule an emergency appointment.
