Food keeps getting stuck between my teeth: causes, harm and how it's fixed
Getting a bit of meat or fibre caught between teeth now and then is normal. But if food packs into the same spot at every meal, won't come out without a toothpick or floss and the area aches, the contact between the two teeth has broken down. Trapped food inflames the gum and leads to decay between the teeth and bad breath. The cause can usually be found and corrected.
Why food always gets stuck in the same place
- An open contact: The tight contact between two teeth can loosen over time; floss slips through with no resistance.
- A filling or crown edge: A filling or crown that doesn't touch the neighbouring tooth, overhangs or has chipped.
- Decay between teeth: Decay breaks down the surface and creates a gap. See decay between teeth.
- Receding gums: With gum and bone loss the spaces between teeth open up and fibrous food catches. See bleeding and receding gums.
- Drifting teeth: Teeth next to a missing tooth tilt and gaps open. See a single missing tooth.
- Between an implant and a natural tooth: Natural teeth keep moving very slightly throughout life while an implant doesn't; over the years a gap can open between the implant crown and its neighbour.
- A crack or broken corner: See cracked tooth syndrome.
Why trapped food matters
- Gum inflammation, swelling and a feeling of pressure; sometimes a gum abscess
- Decay between the teeth
- Bad breath. See bad breath.
- Bone loss and gum pockets if it goes on for a long time
What to do at home
- Use floss or an interdental brush of the right size to remove the trapped food gently. See water flossers and interdental brushes.
- Don't press toothpicks into the gum; they can injure it and widen the gap.
- Rinsing with warm salt water soothes the gum.
- If it turns into pain, swelling or bleeding, have it examined without delay.
How it's corrected
| Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
| Old filling with an open contact | Replacing the filling so it contacts the neighbouring tooth |
| Ill-fitting crown | Replacing the crown. See pain and odour under a crown |
| Decay between teeth | Removing the decay and placing a filling |
| Receding gums | Gum treatment; interdental brushes to keep the gap clean |
| Gap between implant and tooth | Adding a contact to the crown or replacing the crown |
| Drifting teeth | Orthodontics, or an implant or bridge for the missing tooth |
When a filling or crown is redone, the contact is checked with floss; the aim is for the floss to pass with slight resistance. See dental fillings.
Examination in Beylikdüzü
At Dent32 we examine the area with a floss test, a clinical check and a bitewing X-ray, and explain the cause and options in writing.
Dent32 Ağız ve Diş Sağlığı Polikliniği (Dent32 Dental Polyclinic) is at Barış Mah., Ginza Lavinya, E-5 Yanyolu No:30 D:179, 34520 Beylikdüzü, Istanbul and is open seven days a week. To book, call or WhatsApp +90 555 011 33 68, or use our contact page. At the examination we share the findings, the options and the approximate cost in writing; you are under no obligation to start treatment afterwards.
For clinic details, our dentists and the full list of treatments, visit Dent32, dental polyclinic in Beylikdüzü.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for food to get stuck between teeth?
Occasionally, yes. If food packs into the same spot at every meal, the contact may have opened, a filling or crown may not fit, or there may be decay between the teeth.
Are toothpicks harmful?
Pressed into the gum and used often, they can injure it and open the gap. Floss or an interdental brush of the right size is safer.
Why does food get stuck next to my implant?
Natural teeth move very slightly over the years while an implant stays put, so the contact between them can loosen. It can be fixed by adding a contact to the crown or replacing the crown.
