The daily stresses of life can be a lot to handle, but when you add a visit to the emergency dentist to it, it can become overwhelming! Unlike broken bones and cuts, your teeth won’t heal once you break them, meaning if you accidentally chomp on the wrong food, like a rock-solid popcorn kernel, it could mean permanent damage to your smile. By avoiding these five foods that can chip teeth below, you’ll be able to preserve your smile, all while saving yourself from a stressful dental visit.
5 Foods That Can Chip Teeth
Even if you’re conscious of brushing, flossing, and rinsing every day, there are still lingering threats to your teeth that could land you in your emergency dentist’s chair. Chewing on excessively hard or sticky foods can put your teeth at risk of chipping, cracking, or breaking, and these issues aren’t always an easy fix. Here are five foods to be mindful of when you eat to reduce your chances of damaging a tooth.
Popcorn
Despite the puffy and easy-to-bite texture on the outside of popped corn kernels, biting down on an un-popped one could cause you to crack or chip a tooth. In addition to the threat of breaking a tooth, kernels can get caught between your teeth and in your gumline, causing discomfort and swelling.
Meat with Bones
Who doesn’t love a good chicken wing or some BBQ ribs? Your teeth might not be the biggest fan. While you don’t have to cut these delicious savory meals out of your diet, it’s important to be mindful whenever you eat them, because if you accidentally bite down on the bone instead of just the soft meat, it could leave you with a cracked tooth.
Ice
Do you chew on leftover ice in your drinks? You’re definitely not alone if you do, but when you chew on ice, you’re putting your teeth at risk. Although it seems harmless, this is a common reason why people’s dental restorations (like crowns) become damaged and their teeth chip.
Jerky
Jerky is a succulent savory snack filled with protein, so it makes sense why so many people have it in their desk or workout bag as a go-to food. Not only can chewing jerky put your dental restorations at risk, like bonded teeth and crowns, but it can also put strain on your jaw joints and the muscles surrounding them, leading to other oral issues in addition to damaged teeth.
Hard Candy
Hard candy like jawbreakers, Jolly Ranchers, and Lemon Drops are all classic tooth-breakers. Any attempt to bite or chew these can leave you with a chipped tooth, but when you regularly suck on these candies, it can also expose your teeth to sugars throughout the day, leaving you at a higher risk of developing a cavity as well. So, it might be best to steer clear of hard candies if you’re able to.
Nobody’s telling you to cut all of these snacks and foods out of your diet completely. By just being mindful whenever you chew or bite on them, you’ll be able to drastically reduce your risk of accidentally breaking or damaging a tooth in the process of enjoying these delicious foods!
About the Author
Dr. Mark Farthing has been practicing dentistry since 1982 and opened Indianapolis Family Dentistry in 1985. He has completed advanced training in occlusion and sedation dentistry, allowing him to provide comprehensive and comfortable emergency dental care. He also provides same-day appointments for emergency patients. If you have a damaged or chipped tooth, visit our website or call 317-898-3384.