What to Do If You Have Something Stuck Between Your Teeth

Everyone has had something stuck in between their teeth at some point in time. In many cases, these random pieces of food or other debris can be easily by gently pulling on them. However, there are some occasions where it seems like the object won’t budge no matter what you do. What should you do in such a situation? Before you panic, here are a few tips for handling the situation.

Floss Carefully

Dental floss is one of the best tools for eliminating unwanted debris from your teeth! While you may be tempted, you should avoid dragging the floss with force over anything stuck between your teeth. More often than not, it does more harm than good by lodging the item even further down below the gum line. That’s why you need to be slow and steady when flossing. Carefully pull the floss through to remove the object. Repeat as needed!

Push Gently with Your Tongue

Believe it or not, your tongue can be a handy tool for dislodging food stuck between teeth. Make sure you’re careful, though – overworking your tongue can cause some serious jaw pain. Your jaw muscles may ache, causing you to experience a wide range of issues like TMJ exacerbations, difficulty chewing, and even speech impediments. If your tongue is getting tired, swish some warm water or mouthwash around for a few seconds. It can help quickly get anything out of your teeth.

Eat Something Crunchy

It may sound counterintuitive, but eating crunchy veggies is a great way to get rid of unwanted leftovers stuck in your teeth. They’ll give your teeth a real workout and help dislodge foreign objects from your teeth. For example, carrots and celery sticks can act like a natural, edible toothbrush.

Use the Toothpick Trick

While this trick is effective, make sure you do it carefully! To use this technique, take a wooden toothpick and gently slide it between the two teeth where the food is lodged. Push firmly and slowly, then let it sit there for a few seconds. It will gently create a little space so you can dislodge the food. Once you have that space, try using dental floss again. You can even rinse with warm water in between flossing to help things move along. If it doesn’t work the first time, you can try the trick again.

Have you tried everything without success? Contact your emergency dentist in Owing Mills and schedule an appointment. They’ll get the unwanted debris out in no time!

About the Practice

At Dolfield Dental, we are passionate about helping all patients achieve their happiest, healthiest smiles. From routine checkups to same-day emergency dentistry appointments, we’ve got everything you need in one convenient location. If you can’t remove an object from between your teeth, we’ll gladly do it for you. You can make an emergency appointment via our website or call (410) 902-4110.