Toothpicks are helpful tools that can remove food debris that’s stuck between your teeth.
Besides helping you avoid some embarrassment, they can offer some relief, too, if the debris is putting pressure on your gums.
While some people use toothpicks to remove debris from their teeth, others often use them for chewing.
Considering toothpicks aren’t food, you may wonder why people chew on toothpicks.
From looking cool to getting over an addiction, here are a few reasons why people chew on toothpicks.
Why Do People Chew On Toothpicks? (10 Potential Reasons)
1. Appear Cool Or Smooth
If you were to watch some old movies made in the ’50s and ’60s, you might notice a similar trend.
A lot of “cool” characters chewed on toothpicks.
A hard-boiled detective would regularly chew or suck on a toothpick while contemplating a murder case.
The stalwart and lovelorn hero would watch the love of his life run away to better horizons with a toothpick between his lips.
Bruised and blooded, the fighter would spit out a toothpick before getting back into a fight with a thug.
Toothpicks in films were common.
They made certain protagonists look cool.
In romances, it made the hero appear smooth or sophisticated.
During a time when smoking was starting to show its ugly side effects, filmmakers were looking to replace cigarettes with something else.
The toothpick was the next natural choice.
That sort of correlation between toothpick chewing and heroism exists today.
People who want to look cool or appear smooth might choose to chew on a toothpick.
It’s an ode to the heroes of old.
Even if others don’t think chewing on toothpicks looks cool, the person chewing the toothpick does think so.
As such, they’ll continue to chew toothpicks to continue to look “cool.”
2. Appear Wicked Or Naughty
While chewing on toothpicks was common for protagonists and heroes in the movies, the opposite is also true.
Eventually, cool guys and heroes stopped chewing on toothpicks altogether.
Instead, it became something that the bad or rough guys in movies did.
As it became well-known that cigarettes weren’t good for you, a lot of people turned to chewing or sucking on toothpicks to help their cravings.
Whenever you saw someone with a toothpick in their mouth, there was a chance that they were a recovering addict.
Moviemakers didn’t want their audiences to think that their heroes had a weakness to addiction.
They represented strength.
As such, the tendency to chew and suck on toothpicks moved to the villains of the story so that they were the ones associated with addiction instead.
As such, a new correlation between toothpick chewing and morality began.
It was no longer stalwart heroes who chewed on toothpicks, it was the rough kid in the neighborhood, too.
Some used the gimmick to give their villains a bit of life.
A shady landlord or loanshark, for example, might make it a habit of spitting their toothpick out at the feet of the protagonist.
A mod leader might calmly suck on his toothpick to exude calm and control.
People who want to make themselves look rough, wicked, or naughty might choose to chew on toothpicks today.
Because that correlation between toothpick chewing and a bad-boy attitude exists, it might give them that sort of appearance.
Because they’re chewing on a toothpick, no one should want to mess with them.
They might believe this might attract some more attention from a certain sex or that it might just fend off bullies.
Regardless, some people chew on toothpicks because they think it makes them look bad, rough, or naughty.
3. Artisanal Flavoring
Some people also chew on toothpicks because they taste good.
A lot of people who chew toothpicks habitually aren’t chewing the standard toothpicks for cleaning their teeth.
Budget-conscious chewers might, but those who take their toothpick-chewing seriously are usually chewing artisanal toothpicks.
There are quite a few brands out there that sell flavored toothpicks.
They put a lot of care and work into ensuring their toothpicks are a cut above standard toothpicks.
For example, some steep their toothpicks in some sort of cinnamon mixture.
Whenever you chew or suck on the toothpick, you’re able to get those notes of cinnamon.
Others soak their toothpicks in bourbon or whiskey.
They go to great lengths to soak their toothpicks to ensure you get a satisfying taste every time.
These toothpicks tend to come in fine boxes and are certainly higher in price than standard toothpicks.
As such, they make toothpick chewing something a bit more luxurious.
It’s a way to indulge.
You’re able to get that hit of cinnamon or whiskey each time you pull out a toothpick and chew on it.
It’s not unlike chewing gum for its flavor.
If you find yourself craving that particular flavor, you might pull out a stick of gum to chew it.
The same goes for flavored toothpicks.
If you’re craving a particular flavor, you’ll chew on it.
Some people chew on toothpicks because they enjoy the flavor of artisanal brands.
4. Imported
Not a lot of toothpicks come from the United States anymore.
Back in the day, toothpicks were a hallmark of the dining experience.
They became associated with fine dining.
After eating a meal at a restaurant, you’d take a moment outside to clean your teeth with a toothpick.
It was a cultural habit.
These days, with fast-food restaurants speeding up the dining experience and everyone feeling rushed, there isn’t a lot of time to use toothpicks after eating anymore.
As such, the demand for toothpicks fell dramatically.
While there are still a few toothpick manufacturers here and there, the majority of the toothpicks in the United States are imported.
This makes people chew on toothpicks for a few reasons.
The first is that toothpicks, at least those made in the United States, are rare.
Chewing on a rare US-based toothpick can seem patriotic.
It’s a way to support the few toothpick manufacturers who remain in the country.
Another reason is that it adds some class to the toothpick.
Those who chew on imported toothpicks, for example, might hold them to a different standard.
It’s not unlike buying and using an imported car or purse.
There’s a certain idea that it’s somehow made from better quality.
As such, the toothpick seems to be a luxury item instead.
It adds a certain level of prestige to the experience.
Saying that you buy and use imported toothpicks makes a bigger statement than saying you buy and use toothpicks from your local grocery store.
Because it adds a note of elegance to the habit, some people choose to chew on imported toothpicks.
5. Luxury Toothpick Cases
When buying a toothpick case, you have a few options.
If you buy standard toothpicks, you usually get them in a clear, plastic, case.
If you buy artisan or high-quality toothpicks, however, you usually end up with luxury toothpick cases.
These cases become a status symbol among toothpick chewers.
Some of them are collectible, but mostly toothpick chewers like to carry them since they look sophisticated and elegant.
Toothpick cases can come in high-quality metal or leather.
When you pull out a case and remove a toothpick, it’s not unlike pulling out a high-quality lighter to light your cigarette.
It adds to the ritual.
Some people who chew toothpicks like carrying the case around with them.
Not only does it show off their standards, but it adds to the cool factor.
Even in the world of toothpick chewing, some drive standard SUVs, and some drive luxury cars.
The cases represent those cars.
Since the case becomes a status symbol, it’s a way for toothpick chewers to show off their status without being too overt about it.
Because it’s just another way for people to show why they’re better than someone else, they make toothpick chewing a habit.
Some people chew toothpicks because they like high-quality, luxury, toothpick cases.
6. Cultural And Ritualistic
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why people chew toothpicks is that they grew up around them.
As mentioned earlier, chewing toothpicks is a cultural habit.
It became something most people were familiar with from the movies.
People wanted to emulate the heroes that they saw on the big screen.
They started chewing on and sucking toothpicks in their daily lives.
When they kept to the habit and had children, those children also associated coolness with chewing on toothpicks.
They continued the habit.
Even if the habit skipped a generation, there were some who saw their grandfathers chewing toothpicks and thought they looked cool doing it.
So, they started chewing toothpicks, too.
Others had it passed down to them because of dinner habits.
Since it was common for people to use toothpicks after eating out at a restaurant, some also developed a habit of chewing toothpicks.
Their children or grandchildren copied their habits to emulate them.
These days, movies rarely show someone chewing toothpicks.
Because chewing toothpicks has become closely associated with addiction, most moviemakers don’t want their audiences to think that their characters have addiction problems.
Because it’s not prevalent in media anymore, the number of people chewing toothpicks has decreased.
It isn’t as common to see people with toothpicks tucked into their mouths these days.
Those who keep the practice alive may feel special or unique as a result.
They might see it as a way of keeping old, cultural, practices alive.
Some people chew toothpicks because they were either raised in a house that chewed toothpicks or because they want to partake in an old, cultural, ritual.
7. Nervous Or Anxious
There’s no question that some people also chew on toothpicks as a way to alleviate anxiety or nerves.
When someone feels anxious, it’s usually because they’re stuck in their own heads.
Something is triggering the fight or flight response in them.
They’re worried about something to the point that they feel they’re in danger.
It can be difficult to get out of your own head during an anxiety attack.
The best way to do so is to ground yourself.
There are several ways that you can ground yourself.
Most of those methods involve observing certain aspects of your environment.
It forces your mind from looking inward to examining outward instead.
For example, describing the environment around you is a good way to ground yourself.
Smelling, hearing, and seeing can force your brain to focus on analyzing that data instead of whatever’s triggering you.
People who chew on toothpicks might also find that it helps ground them during an anxiety attack.
Because it’s something physical that they’re doing, they’re able to focus on the task exclusively.
If they’re chewing on a toothpick that has some flavor to it, it makes grounding a bit easier.
They can focus on the flavor instead.
Some might also find that the actual act of chewing on the toothpick can help ground them, too.
As such, some people chew on toothpicks because it helps them avoid anxiety attacks or feeling nervous.
8. Attempting To Quit Smoking
A lot of people who chew on toothpicks are recovering cigarette, or nicotine, addicts.
Nicotine is extremely addictive.
The most common way that people get exposed to nicotine is through cigarette use.
The act of using cigarettes becomes a habit in itself.
When you use cigarettes often, you also become used to the weight and feeling of having a cigarette in your mouth.
It becomes associated with the positive feeling of putting nicotine into your system.
As such, a lot of recovering addicts will look to mimic that sensation to help curb their cravings.
Chewing on toothpicks offers that opportunity.
Some people chew on toothpicks to help ease their cigarette addictions.
9. Attempting To Quit Alcohol
Another addiction that some people might use toothpicks to help get over is alcohol.
Alcohol is another serious addiction that involves some form of ritual.
Whether the individual drinks from a bottle or a glass, to get that high, they have to drink from something.
This creates a physical ritual that they associate positively with getting that high.
The act of chewing on a toothpick can help them quit alcohol since it takes care of that physical ritual.
It gives their mouth something to do.
Some people who are recovering from alcohol addiction will also chew on toothpicks.
10. Accessible For Teeth Cleaning
A final reason why some people chew on toothpicks is that some people like to have a toothpick readily accessible for cleaning.
Those who take their oral health seriously might like to chew on a toothpick because it means they always have one handy.
Any time they’re done eating food, they can whip out their toothpick, clean their teeth, and then chew on it.
It ensures their teeth remain free from food debris and gives their mouth something to do afterward, too.
Some people chew on toothpicks because it helps them keep their mouths clean.
Conclusion
Toothpick chewing is something cultural.
Although it’s not as common today as it was in the past, the reasons above are some of the factors that might be behind why someone chews on toothpicks.
