• Dental Phobia Support

    Welcome! This is an online support group for anyone who is has a severe fear of the dentist or dental treatment. Please note that this is NOT a general dental problems or health anxiety forum! You can find a list of them here.

    Register now to access all the features of the forum.

popcorn causing major gum pain

G

greenwood

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
49
The other day I had some smartfood popcorn that had lots semi-popped corn with sharp bits to it. I have gotten some stuck under the gum in between two teeth and it is KILLING me. My gums are so irritated, it's driving me crazy. I have tried flossing but nothing comes out. I can't feel the corn shell but I know it's still there because of the irritation. In fact, it is getting worse as the days go on....today is day three. I also think I managed to get some in the gums on my lower front because they are suddenly irritated too. I just had my teeth cleaned a couple of weeks ago and have been flossing twice a day so I'm certain they wouldn't be getting irritated for any other reason.

Question: will it work it's own way out in time even though it is in the gum between two teeth? Flossing doesn't reach it and is getting very painful!
 
Last edited:
Maybe to help with the gum irritation try using salt water rinses...just an idea you could try to help ease the discomfort.
 
Any idea how long it takes a popcorn kernel to dissolve? Still bothering me but I can't make an appointment right now. How long will this last? It has to dissolve eventually right? Can it cause a gum infection?
 
try hot tea or hot water,,, maybe that will soften it up some and try flossing again.
 
hey
my sister did exactly this the piece of popcorn worked itself out in a couple of days it was sort of like the gum swelled a bit then it got pushed out at the time it was sore though she doesnt like pop-corn now !!!!
emma
 
Yay! It finally came out and MAN was it huge. No wonder it was so painful. It was paper thin but really big and really pointy. It was still bothering me a lot and didn't seem to be dissolving so I bought a new kind of floss called Oral B Ultra Floss. It is a soft stretchy material that is designed to avoid irritation and is intended for new flossers. Well, the soft stretchy materials was exactly what was needed to "catch" this sheath of popcorn shell. It hadn't dissolved in the slightest so I'm glad I got it when I did.

Has anyone heard of this type of floss? To the dentists, is it as effective for standard cleaning as regular floss? If it is, I can't imagine why it isn't the material of choice for all dental floss. I hope the fact that it is designed for people just starting to floss (even divided into sections the right length) doesn't mean it is just what you use until you can work your way up to the real stuff (presumably when your gums no longer hurt).
 
It's really expensive relative to the ordinary floss, so I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. Good product though, like most OralB stuff.
 
Popcorn Pain

I went to a movie today and got a popcorn kernel shell in my gum. I thought nothing of it because it has happened before and I have gotten it out easy before. When I got home I tried getting it out and what I think I did was make it deeper. It started bleeding a little and it got a little swollen. It is my molar is the very bottom. I feel like I can feel a little of it but I have tried flossing, using my fingers, toothpick (plastic toothpick) and the salt water trick and nothing has worked so far, I told my family and there trying to help me but this is one of the worst things that can come out of something small like popcorn. Wish me luck on getting it out!! Thanks for your time! :redface:
 
Take floss tie several knots in it and drag the knots laterally between your teeth push what is stuck out.
 
Back
Top