Getting food or plaque caught between your teeth can not only look funny, but it can also be very uncomfortable. Worse yet, leaving it there can cause a variety of oral health problems from bad breath to cavities and gum disease. If you’re struggling to free debris from your smile, here are a few helpful tips to try removing it safely before you need to pay a visit to your emergency dentist. When seeking to remove food or plaque from between the teeth, your first choice should always be dental floss. Unfortunately, many patients reach for wooden toothpicks, which despite their name are not safe for your teeth because they can easily break. Instead, try some traditional dental floss or a floss pick, both of which were designed to remove debris safely from your smile. You know how clean your siding looks after a pressure wash? That’s the principle behind a water flosser. Although it’s nowhere near as powerful, these devices use water pressure to push food and plaque particles out from between your teeth. They may not be as effective as traditional dental floss, but they are much gentler and even if they don’t remove stubborn matter completely, they can help loosen it and make following up with string floss much easier. While it may seem counterintuitive to eat more when you’ve got food stuck between your teeth, the truth is that crunching on a fresh fruit or vegetable like an apple, carrot, or celery can help. That’s because the act of chewing stimulates your saliva production while the crunching serves as a natural toothbrush of sorts, helping to loosen or free the debris between your teeth. If you’ve exhausted all of the above options and still cannot remove the debris from between your teeth, it’s time to call your emergency dentist. They will be happy to help you remove the matter from your smile as quickly and safely as possible. Now that you’ve learned some helpful tips for removing debris, here are a few tools you should never use in your mouth: Unfortunately, these were not intended to go in your mouth or between your teeth and could very easily cause a painful injury or infection. Remember, food can become trapped between your teeth even if you’re extremely careful. If it happens, stay calm, try the above tips, and if all else fails, contact your emergency dentist and they’ll be happy to help! Dr. Justin Gonzalez grew up in Mexico and now calls South Texas home. He is happy to help you improve your oral health with a variety of treatment options ranging from preventive care to emergency dentistry. If you have something stuck in your teeth that you can’t remove, don’t put your teeth and gums at risk. Contact San Antonio Smiles today and let us assist you in freeing the debris! To schedule an urgent appointment, please call us directly at 210-737-6900.
Dental Floss
Water Flosser
Crunchy Foods
Visit Your Emergency Dentist
What NOT to Do
About Dr. Gonzalez
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5 Tips for Playing an Instrument with Braces – Without Missing a Beat
Getting braces is an exciting step toward achieving a healthier, straighter smile. But if you play a wind (flute, piccolo, clarinet, oboe, bassoon) or brass instrument (trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba), you might wonder how orthodontic treatment will affect your ability to play. The truth is that braces can cause some initial challenges, but with practice and the right techniques, most musicians adapt quickly.
Here are five tips to help you keep making music while wearing braces.
At San Antonio Smiles Dental & Orthodontics, we offer unique benefits, prioritize patient needs and comfort, and strive to exceed expectations every chance we get.