Sometimes when you’re eating a snack or a meal, a tough piece of food can get stuck between two of your teeth. When this happens, it’s usually not a serious cause for concern. However, there are rare instances when something can get uncomfortably stuck in your gums. It could potentially cause a gum injury. This is even more likely to happen if you have a bad habit of nibbling on foreign objects or using your teeth as tools.
In a situation like this, your dentist, Dr. Ryan Bailey , offers these key insights to safely remove the object from your gums.
First, you should never 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 first thing you should reach for to try to remove an object that is stuck in the gumline. The waxy coating allows the strand to slide easier between teeth to work around the foreign object. You should never force the floss into place as it could seriously injure your gums.
If you can’t loosen it with dental floss, you could try using a dental fountain or oral water jet. If your gums are irritated, you could try rinsing with lukewarm saltwater. This can help loosen the food particle and also soothe the gums.
If your best efforts fail to clear the object from your gums, you should call Open Door Family Dentistry at 541-479-5505 to have it safely removed. Your dentist in Grants Pass, Oregon, will be thrilled to help you!