Consumer 1 feedback from Quora:
No! Tooth pick damages the gums and worsens the problem in long run. Floss cleans way better. In case your teeth have bigger gaps go for interdental brush.
Consumer 2 feedback from Quara:
Toothpicks are not bad for teeth, they are bad for your gums because gum tissue between teeth is really soft and gets injured easily. Pointy toothpicks are actually gonna tear your gums and harm the adjacent structures.
Floss is a better way. Although normal, well aligned dentition can be cleaned with brush but we don’t have that ideal alignment generally and there are areas where brush won’t reach. You need floss for that. Softer, less injurious than toothpick- floss!
Toothpicks will not disrupt the contact of the teeth (so they will only remove large pieces, not plaque), while flossing can be used to scrape the plaque from the side of the contacting tooth.
I realized that it is difficult for people to floss their heads often. There was once a study questioning the effectiveness of using dental floss, and everyone grasped it like a lottery! I don’t use dental floss! They said I didn’t! Those dentists have been lying to us!
Let’s try an analogy, because this is usually a good way to solve the problem.
handwashing.
If you scrub with your hands and wash with soap, rub between your fingers, and then wash off the dirty soap, it’s like brushing and flossing your teeth.
If you wash your hands and wash your hands with soap, but your fingers are held together firmly like a karate chop, it is like brushing your teeth.
If you hit a dirty, stiff karate chop hand on a dry towel, it will be like digging your teeth.
If you rinse your dirty karate ribs under running water and tell yourself they are clean, it’s like water stains/water floss.
