What’s Better: a Toothpick, Floss, or a Water Flosser

Removing pieces of food from between the teeth is one of the basic tooth care procedures. Usually, people use a toothpick, floss, or a water flosser.

5-Minute Crafts is going to show the pros and cons of using a toothpick, dental floss, and a water flosser. And at the end of the article, there’s a chart to help you choose the best tool for you.

1. Toothpick

Pros:

➕ Easy to use

➕ Always accessible

Cons:

➖ Might damage the gums and the enamel.

➖ Might damage veneers.

➖ A piece of toothpick might get stuck in your gum.

➖ If you touch a toothpick with dirty hands or damage your gums, you might get an infection.

2. Dental floss

Pros:

➕ Allows you to clean each tooth very well.

➕ Prevents tartar from forming.

Cons:

➖ You need to know the right technique.

➖ Might cause bleeding gums.

➖ Might not clean hard to reach spots.

➖ You need to wash your mouth after using floss to get rid of the plaque and food pieces.

3. Water flosser

Pros:

➕ Easy to use.

➕ Great for sensitive gums.

➕ Good if you have braces, implants, and so on.

➕ Better at cleaning hard-to-reach spots.

➕ Good for people with arthritis or those that can’t handle floss.

➕ Good for people who have a dry mouth.

Cons:

➖ Not as good at removing dental plaque.

➖ The water might leave stains on the clothes and other surfaces.

➖ More expensive than toothpicks.

➖ Needs power.

What’s best: toothpick, dental floss, or a water flosser