Tips to Safely and Effectively Remove Something from Your Gum Line

I think we have all experienced a time or two when you were eating a meal and a piece of food got stuck in your gums. Worse still, is if you have a habit of chewing on objects like pencils and pens, or biting off your fingernails. In most situations, these things can be loosened and removed by rinsing your mouth or giving it a good brushing.

There are also times when a piece of food gets stubbornly stuck in your gums and causes pressure and discomfort. In a situation like this the dental professionals at Shore Smiles offer a few basic tips to safely and effectively remove the object from you gums.

First off, it’s important to stay calm and be patient about clearing the object away. You should never try to use toothpicks or sharp tools to pry the object loose, as this could injure your gums and potentially damage your teeth.

Try to vigorously rinse your mouth with salt water. This could loosen the object and help soothe the gums. Try not to rinse with antiseptic mouthwash, as this could actually irritate your gum tissue.

If the object is still stuck, you can use waxed dental floss to remove an object that is stuck in the gum line. The waxy coating allows the strand to slide easier between teeth to worked around the foreign object. You should never force the floss into place, as it could seriously injure your gums.

You might also want to try dental fountain or oral water jet.

If you still can’t remove the object from your gum line, you can call Shore Smiles at 757.222.3737 for further advice or to schedule an appointment.