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5 Reasons Why Tooth Picking is Bad for Oral Health

Tooth Pick

Whenever you get something in your teeth, it may be your natural instinct to pick your tooth free of the item that got stuck. The problem is that this habit can be detrimental to your teeth and cause more problems in the long run. There are a variety of reasons why this habit is so harmful to your teeth and we will look at 5 of the most important reasons why you should reconsider picking your teeth next time.

 

 

  1. It can potentially cause infections in the mouth.

Tooth picks are not sterile items, meaning that they can easily lead to infections in your mouth. Tooth picks are often left out for a while, which allows dirt and other debris to coat it before you use them in your mouth. There has even been potential links discovered between using tooth picks and mouth cancers. Do not be fooled by tooth picks in packages because these are still not much better than other types of tooth picks.

  1. It can leave something behind.

Sometimes a tooth pick can’t even get what you want it to, so it leaves the debris behind anyways. That is the least of your problems. If the tooth pick gets too soggy or is reused, it can actually break off in your mouth leading to bigger problems and cause infection.

  1. It changes the spaces between your teeth.

Something that you may not know about tooth picking is that it can lead to an increase of spaces in between your teeth. Whenever you force anything in between your teeth repeatedly over time, you are going force the teeth apart and create an unnatural gap. What is worse is that the damage can get so bad that not even a fix like braces will be able to help you out.

  1. It can damage your gums.

You will end up picking your gums as you try to get the debris out of your teeth. This can be very painful and lead to bleeding. If you do this too hard, you can actually get cuts on your gums which can lead to infections inside of your mouth. This also makes you more susceptible to gum disease, which can wreak havoc in your mouth. For this very reason, dentists often advise you to not pick your teeth.

  1. It can damage your tooth enamel.

You may not be aware that tooth picking can damage the precious enamel on your teeth. The enamel is that hard coating that is crucial to protecting the tooth. Even though it is there to protect your tooth, it is only a very thin layer of protection. You can break this coating by picking your teeth. This is hazardous because you are making your tooth weaker and cause it to be more susceptible to tooth decay.

These are 5 very important reasons why you should stop picking your teeth immediately. You may think you are helping your teeth but you are actually doing more harm than good.

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