I have a habit of picking around my gums with a tooth pick. now i have a red swollen and very sore gum, what can i do. could it be infected?

Yes: The ends of a wooden toothpick are fiberous and will pick up all sorts of bacteria and food as you poke around your teeth. You may have accidently pushed these materials under your gum, into your gum, and even a bit of toothpick may now be embedded into your gum. A piece of calculus may have also been broken off and is now stuck. Floss and brush gently and see ur dentist if it does not resolve.

Infected gum: You have injured your gum with a tooth pick. Try to fliss instead and use mouth wash until you all heal up.

Keep clean: If used carefully and correctly a toothpick can be a very helpful tool for good oral hygiene but now that the area is injured you need to be careful not to aggravate it any further keep the area clean rinse with mouthwash and maybe use toothpaste on a q tip instead of bristles or floss for just a few days and the area should heal. Be sure you don't have a piece of the toothpick stuck in your gums.

Yes: Could be infected, scratched, or could have caused food impaction. Probably better to clean between your teeth with floss or a water pik. See your dentist to have area checked and treated. Ask for his/her best hygiene recommendations for you.

Yes and Try to Stop: It very well could be infected. Toothpicks can easily injure your soft tissues. If it is mild, usually it will get better with some warm salt water rinses. If it last more than a few days, you should see a dentist. The more important thing is to try to keep those toothpicks away from your gums. Eventually, you'll be glad you did!