Food stuck in gums won't come out

[mojojoyo25]

I was eating strawberries the other day and I believe that a small seed got stuck in my gums behind my right wisdom tooth on the bottom. This has happened before with popcorn, but the offending particles easily came out and the swelling went down. Now, whatever is stuck there is pretty well stuck. My gum is swollen pretty badly and it's starting to get pretty painful. I'm sure that it's from the strawberries, I had no problems before I started eating them and could feel the seed getting stuck, I though it would dislodge immediately. What solutions do I have? I'm far away at school from my dentist, is there anything that I can do? Thank you.

[Gellia]

Hi,
It's sure worth a try.  Use no more than 1/2 tsp salt in a full glass of very warm (warm, not hot, please don't burn yourself) water.  Swish.  You may have to do it a few times during the course of the day.  The salt should pull any fluid out of the tissue so the object gets to float itself out of there.

GOOD LUCK!  Let us know how you do!
My best to you,
Gellia

[Gellia]

Hi,
I'm so glad it worked for you!!  A few more days of rinsing with salt water wouldn't hurt either.

Good luck!  Hope you never have a seed problem again.

Best to you,
Gellia

[Gellia]

Hi,
If the salt water burns, you're using way to much salt.  That defeats the purpose.  Use 1/4tsp in about 8 oz of warm water.  What you're trying to do is create a nearly normal saline environment.  

When you floss, take the floss and hold it close against the side of your tooth in a "C" shape.  Scoop down along the tooth, scoop along base in the "C" and lift out.  Do not scrub back and forth.  Your gums should never become irritated from flossing.

Use the warm salt water rinses.  Swish the solution in your mouth and through your teeth.   It will help reduce any swelling in your gum and help you get the floss down where the piece of meat is.  If that doesn't work, you could try a water pik but they can be as expensive as a quick trip to the dentist.  
If you can't get it out, you'll need to get to a dentist.  They may have to use dental instruments if whatever is lodged is that deep.  You can't leave it there.  It will decay and infect your tooth and gum.

Just try being gentle.  Sometimes too much is as bad as too little.  If it hurts, it's probably swollen.  

GOOD LUCK.  Please let us know how you do.
Best to you,
Gellia

[Gellia]

Hi,
Have you tried swishing very warm salt water in your mouth vigorously?  That may help reduce the swelling enough to float the seed out.
Also, you could try some ice on the outside of your face, again to help reduce the swelling so the seed will come out on its own.  

Don't try to pick it out.  You can drive it further in.

If that doesn't work, you may need to find a dentist nearby to help you.

Good luck and best to you,
Gellia

[dingdbatdong]

Yeah like 10 years ago I ate a tooth and some of it got stuck under my tongue, like real bad, all the way, and it was burning and bleeding. What will I do?

[dingdbatdong]

Wait. What will I do now ?

[Lhew003]

I had intense pain on my lower lefthand side second molar for two days. I used the salt water rinse last night as a natural remedy for the pain - 4 rinses consecutively - and on the second rinse I spat put a piece of spinach. The pain was still there before bed but I took some Paracetamol and slept soundly.   No pain this morning.  Highly recommend the salt water rinse.

[mcrhodeszz]

My right jaw throbs and I think there is something lodged between my crowned last tooth and a pocket that remains from a wisdom tooth that was removed decades ago.  This happens often but usually I can get it out.  We are now going on 5 days of pain.   I saw the dentist.  He examined and x-rayed.  Found nothing.  Said come back if it still hurts.  Any advice?

[Fadi7]

Hi,

I am going through the same problem, but with Kangaroo meat. I had a steak last night and it felt like something got stuck in between my teeth, I didnt worry much about it initially, but later on it started to hurt that it got me up from my sleep. I am trying the salt and water solution, how long do you think I should wait before going to the dentist? and do you think that I can be helped at an ER?

Kind regards,
Fadi.

[destiny_rizo]

There is so something on my tooth it feels sharp but I don't know what it is

[Sabrae]

hello,
I have a raspberry seed thing lodged in behind my 2 front teeth how do I get it ou? Because it's very soar and itchy.

[Lucygoose3]

I have two fillings at the back of my mouth, with a space in between. I've been to the dentist three times with the complaint of pain and a lot of food getting caught in between. One time she built up the filling, the following time she informed me I had the space from grinding my teeth (which I knew), as well as bone loss due to being diabetic. The third time she informed me all she could do was crown the tooth. There has been a constant sensation of giant pieces of food being caught back there, even after I floss and remove it! It's maddening! The contacts between several teeth are very tight, to the point floss gets caught. I do floss regularly. Please advise!

[I_need_help_please123]

Hey,i was eating Popcorn and a peice got stuck right at the back of my tooth,between another one.I can feel the peice but it just won't come out.Now my whole tooth is killing me.I'm not sure if its because of the popcorn peice?will mouthwash be of any use?

[JudiRN]

I bit into an apple and the apple flesh, not the skin, was lodged up in my gums front and back of my two front teeth. I flossed and rinsed and my gums swelled. It really hurt, so I saw my dentist right away.
Both the dentist and hygienist said there was nothing there except irritation, no infection. They both said there was a small cut behind the front tooth where the apple penetrated. This was 4 weeks ago, and it went away, but a few days ago, it started to bother me again and is slightly swollen. I called the dentist and they said I probably re-injured it, and didn't seem concerned. I guess if the area is sensitive, it's possible to easily re-injure it. I was just wondering if you ever heard of this?

[JudiRN]

I bit into an apple and the apple flesh, not the skin, was lodged up in my gums front and back of my two front teeth. I flossed and rinsed and my gums swelled. It really hurt, so I saw my dentist right away.
Both the dentist and hygienist said there was nothing there except irritation, no infection. They both said there was a small cut behind the front tooth where the apple penetrated. This was 4 weeks ago, and it went away, but a few days ago, it started to bother me again and is slightly swollen. I called the dentist and they said I probably re-injured it, and didn't seem concerned. I guess if the area is sensitive, it's possible to easily re-injure it. I was just wondering if you ever heard of this?

[fatfacebhoo10]

I was eating sunfower seeds and i sometimes chew the shell and in the very back i think a piece got stuck in my gum line. what do i do?

[Jomamaismysister]

Hey

I was at the movies on Saturday and helped myself to some nachos. I bit a chip at a certain angle and a piece of chip got stuck behind my front two teeth. Can I be affected by this? What if I just leave it alone? I felt it go all the way in. help?

[FGE413]

While eating, it felt like a piece of tortilla chip got lodged between my far back tooth and the far side of my gum (i.e. not in the gum between two teeth, between the last tooth and the edge of my mouth.  

I don't feel anything now (an hour or so later), no edge of a chip, no pain.  It doesn't hurt, and I'm not sure if it came out on its own or if maybe the sensation I felt was the chip poking the gum but not actually going in.  I guess I'm just afraid it's wedged way the hell up there.  If it were really far up, wouldn't it hurt?

[everettdanny]

I bite my nails and I got one lodgedcin between my gums between my two front teeth. It has been there for months,  do you think the salt water solution may help with my issue? It hurts on and off. I constantly pick at it with a tooth pick or floss!

[myjiggers1]

Hi...i ate some chips and dip and it looks like a seasoning leaf is behing my gums in front of my bottom canine tooth... doesn't hurt...but looks black... i got a piece out but it broke and went further in... will it come out on its own? Or get infected?

[colby1128]

You seem very knowledgable. Do you have any reccomendations for gum irritation that is not related to food being stuck but rather from crown work (crown prep, root canal and crown placement). This has been going on for about 2 months. I'm sure a lot of it is from all of the irritation from the work, but I have tried a sterioid and am using a periodex rinse and there is still some pain. I don't want to remove the crown to let the gums heal but I'm afraid if i leave the crown on, it will stay irritated.
any suggestions? thanks so much

[eliyahu]

Hi, I actually got a piece of apple stuck in my gums.  Not the rind, the fleshy part.  It doesn't hurt or is swollen...yet.  I rinsed with warm salt water but I cant floss there, I have an orthodontic bridge on the inner side of my front bottom teeth.  Should I just keep rinsing and hope it slides out on its own?

[Gellia]

Hi,
I'm so sorry you are going through this.  It does sound as though the area has become infected.  You would need antibiotics.  PLEASE don't poke at it!  This only allows bacteria to get below the surface.

I don't think there's anything else you can do at this point except get to a dentist or go to your local ER.

GOOD LUCK!  I hope everything will turn out OK.
My best to you,
Gellia

[Collinsgrandma]

about 10 days ago I was eating bacon and a small piece lodges in my gums right behind my top front teeth. I have had this happen before and after a couple of days It comes out and I get relief. Not this time! I have tried everything. Except the salt water rinses. I did rinse with salt water once. It is swollen and now today all day my upper teeth hurt....ALL of them. I just want to pull them all out that is how bad it hurts. I know there must be infection up in there and I tried relieving the pressure by poking a needle in the swollen area but got no relief. I am at my wits end and I have no dental insurance!!

[ethosdino]

Hey Gellia,


I have a piece of cereal stuck in my gums directly behind my two front teeth. It's not painful, just numb, and there's a bit of blood.

What should I do? Would the salt rinse work for me as well?