Friday my son and his wife were heading into the city and asked me if I needed anything from the store. I replied that I could use some toothpicks. I wanted them for a crafting project. What they came home with shocked even me.
I know it’s been a while since I needed to purchase toothpicks, but these are not like anything I’ve ever seen before. I had told them they would probably find toothpicks in the bakery aisle of the grocery store. In the past, when people made their own layer cakes we used nice wooden toothpicks to hold the layers together.
But they couldn’t find them with the bakery ingredients. Instead, the only ones they could find were in the dental hygiene section of the store.
All plastic case for starters.
And once I opened the container this is what they look like.
PLASTIC!!!
Yes, we have now taken a good reliable wooden toothpick and made it plastic. It is described on the packaging as having 7 ways this product is better than flossing.
What else are they going to start making out of plastic that we just can’t live without.
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You’re kidding me! Aren’t they gimmicky! I’ve noticed the sugar is no longer in our baking aisle (coz people don’t bake) but with the tea and coffee.
Sugar is still in our baking aisle, but I’m not surprised to hear it’s moved to the coffee and tea section in some stores. Sorry not kidding about the toothpicks, which are now being called Brush picks, I actually tried it out on my teeth, I can’t for the life of me figure out how this is supposed to work better than floss, I can’t get it to do much.
I have seen plain plastic toothpicks at the dollar store.
Yuck, what was wrong with the wooden ones?
As long as we keep buying, they’ll keep selling.
Dan @ ZenPresence
My son received an earful about buying these from me. I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t call me and ask first if he wasn’t sure. I can’t think of much I buy, outside of say yogurt, which uses plastic, I’d rather not buy if that is the only choice, but I guess enough people are still buying because they keep making the stuff.
I haven’t bought toothpicks in a long time either. I’m going to take a look around and see what I find. Maybe you have to buy wooden toothpicks at the craft store.
Now there’s an idea I’ll have to look around next time I’m in a craft store, thanks for the suggestion.
My mom and stepdad have wooden toothpicks in a paperboard box at their house. I KNOW they still exist.
Glad to know they still exist, now to find them!
They look like little spears!… we still can get those little wooden ones .. and nothing is safe if a profit is to be made
Isn’t that the truth, and don’t they look like spears, I’ve been trying to some up with a description, but the one end looks like the end of an arrow, so it’s a hybrid of something. I’ve seen some really strange things lately. But I guess we’re no different than we were when I think about the pet rocks that were all the craze, if you can get someone to buy them, then someone will make them.
I just bought some last week, they were with the napkins. I hope my store doesn’t go plastic.
With the napkins? I wish they would leave them where they have been for years, I hate having to search for something. I guess if you were going to move them being with napkins makes sense, I’ll check there next time.
I bought some not too long ago, and like A Ponytail, I found them with the napkins, and yes they are wooden. All though they did come in a round plastic container.
I am going to have to check that napkin section very closely. I recall when buying toothpicks in the past they were in a cardboard box, like matchsticks were. I’m so glad to know they haven’t stopped making the wooden ones, thanks.
We seem to take one step forward and 10 back. I can’t believe that they’ve taken a relatively Eco-friendly product and turned it into something which trashes our environment. Have you considered bamboo picks? They have them at Amazon. They are probably more expensive than these plastic ones but … they are Eco-friendly and sometimes we have to vote with our dollar!
I’m not concerned with cost, I don’t imagine bamboo toothpicks would break the bank. I will check out Amazon for them. As I have learned from other comments today, the wooden ones exist, you just have to search for them. So if you can find wooden toothpicks, and you can buy floss, which isn’t perfect for the environment, why in the world do they need to make these strange looking plastic “brush picks”? I thought the little floss things with the plastic handle was a pretty stupid invention, I mean even when out, I could think of a better product than a plastic flosser to get at food between my teeth.
Someone sent me some of those little plastic thingys (I know … why anyone would send a plastic doodad to a green-living advocate is beyond me) … since I had them and didn’t want to toss them out (and oh, didn’t want to hurt the feelings of a family member), I tried them. They were terrible … they bend rather than stay stiff enough to get between one’s teeth and that little brush thing is just annoying. Who thinks up this stuff!
I tried one on my teeth and gums like it said, it hurt my gums and my teeth are pretty crowded in some spots so I wasn’t even considering trying to stick that thing between my teeth and get it stuck. I don’t know who thought this one up, but floss is best for me and something I will stick with.
We have the wooden ones here in Brazil, and they are sold in a little cardboard box. However, the quality is getting worse; once upon a time you could service the whole mouth with one toothpick, now with breakages it can take up to half a dozen. In restaurants each toothpick comes individually wrapped in a little paper sachet, that’s the law. Who made the law? The brother of the owner of the factory that wraps toothpicks… I say no more.
AV
Your law made me laugh. You know we used to get a complementary toothpick years ago in restaurants at the end of a meal, usually with the presentation of our bill, now if you get anything it’s a piece of peppermint candy. I’m sorry the manufacturing of your toothpicks has declined, what a waste.
I find wooden toothpicks by the plastic utensils and paper plates. I don’t know what the heck those things are. I wouldn’t know where to stick them! LOL!
I haven’t totally figured them out either, and now I’m trying to figure out what I can use them for as I don’t want to toss them out, not good for crafting anyway.
Clean mascara applicators? tube cleaners? colander hole cleaners? doll house dusters? flameless birthday candles (paint the brush gold)?
I just know you’re going to come up with a great use for these things. I also know you are NOT going to throw them out! LOL!!
No I’m not going to throw them out, and you have come up with more ideas than I have which was zero, but I will admit I haven’t given it much thought as I’ve been busy with restoring an old chair I dragged in.
Another one . . . glue six together to make snowflakes . . . okay I’m done!
Now that would be fun with the little ones
I haven’t totally figured them out either, and now I’m trying to figure out what I can use them for as I don’t want to toss them out, not good for crafting anyway.
All the gimmicky dental products are funny. Anything except avoiding sugar, right?
Exactly!!
I purchased toothpicks just a few weeks ago at a walmart store. I had a hard time finding them. I checked the baking section and found none. I went to customer service and was told there were in picnic supplies. What I
found where toothpicks sold in small plastic shakers with holes like a salt shaker sold in sets of two. They were
the only toothpicks they had. I also now know if I ever need kitchen matches these too are in picnic supplies.
So now toothpicks and matches are in the picnic supply section. So we have a picnic and can use the matches to light the toothpicks on fire to start the next forest fire right? Sorry being sarcastic. It’s crazy that we have to search for things we used to be able to find.
Oy! Last time I had my teeth cleaned the dental hygienist tried to get me to buy something like this, only they came individually wrapped and were very expensive. Apparently you stick them between your teeth right at the gum line and twist to remove plaque. What will they think of next. I actually ended up getting a hundred of them at the dollar store for, you guessed it – a dollar. That was over a year ago and I have used very few of them. Flossing is just easier. I have, however discovered that they do come in handy if you have to clean anything with very small holes in it.
BTW, last time I looked toothpicks were in the paper plates aisle next to the plastic utensils.
Great now dental hygienists are suggesting these to their patients, now the sales will go up and more will be made. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction for the toothpicks, I guess that’s the universal spot to carry them now. Am I the only one that remembers them being used to hold layer cakes together?
Perhaps you’re the only one who remembers how to bake a cake!
Oh that can’t be possible
Oooh, the plastic ones look painful to use, I can just imagine getting them stuck between my teeth! Luckily we can still get wooden ones in Australia!
I’m afraid one of the little things on the one end would break off in between my teeth too. I guess I can still get wooden ones just have to go to a different aisle from what I am used to.
Society likes to complicate the simple.
Any thing to confuse the masses?
And make money from the confusion.