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The Best Dental Picks for Healthy, Clean Teeth

Let’s cut straight to the chase: flossing is essential. If you’re looking to enhance your dental hygiene and keep those pearly whites clean and pristine, the best dental picks represent an effective method for getting the gunk out of your teeth and reducing plaque build-up, both of which are important in your protection from tooth and gum disease.

We get it. Flossing is something that is easy to skip. It can hurt, cause your gums to bleed, and the floss can even get stuck in your teeth. So, maybe if we brush our teeth more, like three times a day, do we really need to floss? The short answer is yes. Flossing is truthfully the only method we have to stop plaque buildup in its tracks from the confines of our own home.

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Thankfully, there is more to flossing that just wrapping a polymer string around your finger and working it gently back and forth in between teeth. Dental picks are a gentler, more effective, and time-saving method for getting food and plaque out of your mouth so you can put forth your best smile. These picks come in the shape of everything from soft-bristled brushes that pull debris without force to full-on professional kits with stainless steel scrapers and tartar removers.

We made a compilation of the best dental picks to help you keep those fangs flush and clean, and your dental visits short and sweet.

Dental Duty Professional Dental Hygiene Kit

Dental Duty Professional Dental Hygiene Kit
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This dental kit from Dental Duty is equipped with all the essential tools dentists use to scrape food and plaque from your teeth that you miss during your daily brushing. It includes a dental scaler, a tartar-plaque scraper, and a toothpick that’s more efficient than your everyday toothpicks and dental floss. On top of that, Dental Duty throws in a magnifying dental mirror so you can get to all the hard-to-reach parts of your teeth. Our take is this: These tools present a sure-fire way to get the job done, however, we also think it’s important to note that you still need to be gentle on your teeth and gums, and poking at them safely with a stainless steel hook requires professional skills.

Buy at Amazon Buy at Walmart

Gum Soft-Picks Original Dental Picks

Gum Soft-Picks Original Dental Picks
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This brand is featured among our best dental picks because it offers a highly effective and gentle method for removing dental plaque in between the teeth and on the gum line (where tooth decay and gum disease usually starts). These soft-pick flossers, or trees, boast soft, flexible bristles that gently dislodge debris from your mouth and help you reach your desired high level of mouth cleanliness, especially if you suffer from sensitive teeth or a receding gum line.

Buy at Amazon Buy at Newegg

Plackers Twin-Line Dental Floss Picks

Plackers Twin-Line Dental Floss Picks
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re going to floss the old-fashioned way, you want to at least ensure you’re getting the most out of your work. Plackers offers a two-line, dental floss pick that is designed to easily slide between your teeth and ensure no food gets left behind while using an advanced whitening mint solution that brightens the enamel on your teeth and finishes with a fresh, clean feeling. It also features a tartar pick located on the handle to reach tough angles and remove excess debris and plaque.

Buy at Amazon Buy at Walmart

Bryan Holt
Former Former Digital Trends Contributor, The Manual
Bryan Holt is a writer, editor, designer, and multimedia storyteller based in Portland, Oregon. He is a graduate from the…
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