I use a dental pick that has a blunt tip, so it won't poke or tear the oring. If you go to a few dentist office and ask for the old tools, they are usually happy to hand them off. At least this has been my experience. I have a very nice set of dental tools after a few stops by my dentist office. He also gave me the name of a dentist friend and called them. I ended up with a really swell set. Of course you can get them off eBay too.