That toothpick can damage your teeth and gum

Dessert” can mean an after-meal snack everywhere else except, perhaps, in Rwanda, where it can mean toothpicks. But how healthy is using small sticks to clean our teeth? Eugene Kwibuka asked Léandre Bitwayiki, general dentist at Pineda Dental Clinic in Kigali.Healthy Times (HT): Is using toothpicks for dental cleaning advisable?Léandre Bitwayiki (LB): Toothpicks are not used to clean teeth but to remove food or anything stuck in spaces between teeth, in dental cavities or caries. Toothpicks are not advisable because the quality of toothpicks in most places is not clinically recommended. They are also misused.TNT: It’s then advisable as long as you get the right toothpicks?LB: There are different types of clinically recommended toothpicks with size and top-end adapted to fit inter-teeth spaces. Normally the use of toothpicks is recommended when they are used correctly with pointing a toothpick at the lower part of the inter-teeth space underneath the area where a piece of food got stuck avoiding going deep in the gum.TNT: Are there any dangers with using toothpicks?LB: Using poor quality toothpicks damage teeth and gum. Not removing food stuck in inter-teeth spaces on the lower part of teeth can form gum layers or dental plaque, which may later cause gingivitis–an infection of the gum, teeth roots and bones. TNT: Would you advise use of other means of dental hygiene such as flossing then?LB: The use of toothpicks is not preferable to brushing or flossing and to regular professional dental cleaning that help to maintain oral hygiene. Toothpick can be used to remove food stuck in inter-teeth spaces and only in case there is no possibility to use other means of oral cleaning.TNT: Any other professional advice on using toothpicks?LB: For a good dental health, it’s recommended that you have regular professional oral cleaning with brushing and flossing at least every six months. Gently brush your teeth after meals or at least twice a day for five minutes for good oral hygiene, change toothbrush monthly and use good quality toothpaste.