Why Can Dentists Use Metal Picks When You Can’t?

There are some things that you just shouldn’t put in your mouth, and metal is near the top of the list.  Aside from having no nutritional value, metal is hard enough to damage your tooth enamel, and if you bite down hard enough you can chip or break your teeth entirely.  But if all that is true, then why do dentists and dental hygienists get to scrape away at your teeth with metal probes and picks?

The main answer is a thing called tartar.  The plaque that builds up on your teeth is created by a kind of bacteria that lives in your mouth and dissolves enamel as part of its life process.  As just a thin layer of bacteria and dissolved enamel, the plaque is easy enough to scrape off with a regular toothbrush and flossing.

However, if plaque has the time and space to build up, it can slowly harden into a substance called tartar.  Tartar is very similar to enamel, but it’s full of holes and hiding spots where bacteria can thrive.  Because it’s hardened, you can’t remove tartar with normal brushes or dental hygiene.

This is where the metal picks come into play.  Because tartar is just as hard as enamel, you need something harder if you want to scrape it off.  But because a metal pick can damage your teeth, you need a trained professional who can see into your mouth to handle the tools.  Too many things could go wrong if you tried to handle things yourself or let a friend try to help you.

The other way metal picks come in handy is by probing your teeth for cavities.  Compared to enamel, cavities are soft and sticky, so a metal probe will catch in the cavity when it would scrape right across enamel or a filling.  But the person using the probe needs to be careful because you could end up scraping a layer of enamel or filling metal away and giving bacteria a perfect hiding spot.

Metal tools have a use when it comes to teeth, but only in the hands of a professional.  As for everyone else, you should still avoid putting metal in your mouth.