What to Do if Food Is Stuck between Your Teeth?


A person always feels discomfort if food is stuck between the teeth. In the presence of damage in the enamel, pain may also occur. With the normal arrangement of the dentition, the lateral surfaces of the teeth are in close contact. The In practice, close contact is broken quite often. Stuck food is nothing more than a symptom of a violation of the close contact of adjacent teeth with each other. Contact is broken for various reasons, and this article discusses those that occur most often.

Causes of Food Stuck between the Teeth

The following is a list of causes of food stuck between the teeth:

  1. food stuck between teethExcessive size of the contour of the prosthesis;
  2. The cement which is not cleaned by the dentist, squeezed out by a crown;
  3. Mistakes done at a stage of production of an intermediate part of the bridge when the form of prosthesis does not coincide with anatomy of an oral cavity of the patient.
  4. The edges of the crowns, made of poor quality, hang over the gums.
  5. Poor quality seal. The presence of pores in the filling material on the lateral surface of the tooth leads to the absence of a contact point.
  6. The gingival papilla is absent. Its purpose is to fill the space between the teeth so that there is no accumulation of food in this area.
  7. Caries. As soon as a carious cavity is formed on the side of the tooth, the remains of food are collected in it. Cleaning them out is not easy.
  8. Dental calculi formed above and below the gum.
  9. Gaps between teeth. Solid food stuck in them is extracted by means of cleaning threads. Soft food can be removed by rinsing.

Consequences of Food Stuck Between the Teeth

food stuck between teeth helpTooth decay occurs when food always get stuck between teeth. You could not identify the problem immediately. The treatment is complicated by poor access to the site of the lesion. The damage caused by stuck food is irreversible. Not only the tooth suffers, but also the tissues supporting it. If left untreated, its destruction and removal cannot be avoided. When food always gets stuck between teeth for a long time, it can ferment and cause an unpleasant smell. Periodontal pocket is a space formed due to the destruction of the dentogingival junction and the circular ligament of the tooth, as well as resorption of bone tissue and the walls of the alveoli.

How to Solve the Problem without a Doctor’s Assistance?

The first thing that comes to mind of a person experiencing discomfort from stuck food between the teeth is the use of toothpicks. Dentists strongly recommend to exclude the use of them in everyday practice. Such “helpers” can seriously injure the gums and accelerate loosening produced by stuck food.

The best way to remove food debris in such cases is dental floss.

food stuck between your teeth cleaningAt home the irrigator is most effective. It perfectly washes out the remains of food in the mouth. When a person has periodontal pockets, then the irrigator will become a lifelong assistant. It is true that it is not necessary to care only for those teeth that the surgeon removed. The dental floss and the usual brush are effective in order to facilitate the well-being. But they do not solve the problem completely. When food always gets stuck between same teeth, this indicates that the patient needs to go to a dentist.

Doctor’s advice should not be negligent in matters of oral health.

If the food always gets stuck in one tooth, it is an indirect invitation to the dentist. Regular visits to the doctor for preventive examination should be done at least 1 time in 6 months. After a free consultation with a specialist, the patient learns whether there is a need for treatment or replacement of old seals with new ones. It is better to remove dental twice a year. In case of difficult problems with the stuck food visit a doctor.

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