The untold history of the toothpick

Steven Potashnick - history of the toothpick — A display of a selection of Dr. Steven Potashnick’s collection of antique toothpicks. These and more are featured in Potashnick’s book “The Art and History of the Toothpick.”

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Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons

Meet the Chicago dentist who owns the world’s largest collection of toothpicks

Dr. Steven Potashnick has amassed more than 1,500 toothpicks adorned with gemstones, ivory and more. And he’s written about them in a new book.

A display of a selection of Dr. Steven Potashnick’s collection of antique toothpicks. These and more are featured in Potashnick’s book “The Art and History of the Toothpick.”

By Jules Yaeger Meha Ahmad

You may have never seen a toothpick that wasn’t a small thin wooden stick. The fanciest toothpick most folks see is one with an umbrella attached to it on their drink.

But a new book, The Art and History of the Toothpick, shows that toothpicks were once carved with intricate detail, adorned with precious gems and even made of gold.

Reset checks in with the author and dentist about his remarkable collection and new book.

GUEST: Dr. Steven R. Potashnick, D.D.S., author of The Art and History of the Toothpick