Pia Lieb, DDS

Stop using toothpicks and mechanically aggressive toothbrushes. It’s not that toothpicks and mechanical toothbrushes are not beneficial to teeth. It’s just that very often people can be heavy-handed and apply too much pressure while using various apparatus. Therefore, instead of having positive benefits they can wind up doing damage and getting negative results.

For example, if you use a toothpick with too much pressure you may cause the gums to actually recede. Or if you use mechanical toothbrushes too aggressively you can erode the enamel and also cause gums to recede. These mechanisms can be beneficial but just need to be used properly.