Toothpick Exercise Therapy Helps Keep His Gums Healthy

I found the article about gum treatments by Kathleen Doheny (“Three New Methods to Work Up the Gums,” Oct. 26) very interesting, especially for an omission. Just over 30 years ago, a dentist in Tucson put me on a regimen of daily toothpick exercise therapy that restored the health of my gums and has maintained them without any need for medications or any treatments beyond the usual semiannual cleaning. When I relate this to L.A. dentists, they don’t seem to be familiar with it and express skepticism. The toothpicks are standard round hardwood picks found in any market. The last place where I located the special $1 plastic toothpick holder that facilitates getting to all the gum lines was at the USC Dental School bookstore. The only other thing that I do is not drink any soda.

--JOEL SCHRIER

Los Angeles