A 40-year-old member asked:
How do you get dental floss out if stuck between two of your teeth?
5 doctor answers • 12 doctors weighed in
Dr. Peter Kurzweilanswered
Internal Medicine 52 years experience
Gently.......: Gently raise up, when stuck, gently pull toward one of the two teeth, then gently downward. You should then be able to pull string out because there is a space at the base of the tooth near the gum and often no space where teeth meet at the biting edge. If doesn't do the trick, gently rinse and swish around with warm salt water, let it sit for a while & try again.Tug up a bit harder this time.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Stephen Carstensenanswered
Dentistry 40 years experience
Tough one!: First of all, congratulations for flossing! thinking about why it got so stuck there's probably something wrong with a filling or crown on one of those teeth, and the floss is jammed under an edge that's not supposed to allow that. You may need to have a dentist or hygienist clear this for you. In the meantime, use another kind of floss - maybe waxed - to try again.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Eyal Simchianswered
Specializes in Pediatric Dentistry
Carefullly: Carefully slide the floss downwards and pull outwards gently. If you are using floss piks that don not allow for easy removal that way you may have to carefull snip the floss with a scissors to remove it. Have the area looked at by your dentist to see why the floss is getting stuck.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Stephen Gordonanswered
45 years experience
Pull out : Pull it gently out toward your cheek instead of pulling it up (if it is stuck between lower teeth) or down (if it is stuck between upper teeth). Consider waxed floss and if this is a constant problem, see you dentist as you may have a cavity or defective dental restoration.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Jeffrey Bassmananswered
Dentistry 47 years experience
Options...: Some options to dislodging a stuck piece of floss- another piece of floss, toothpick or actually getting back to dentist or dental hygienist. Should not be left in there.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 37-year-old member asked:
What can you have a little piece of dental floss stuck in your teeth?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Gary Sandleranswered
Dentistry 56 years experience
Try........: Hopefully you should be able to work it out with a new piece of dental floss, preferably waxed or dental tape. If you still have a problem you will have to see a dentist to ensure that it is all out and you don't have a broken filling, decay, or a rough margin on the filling.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Nov 15, 2020
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