Painful, broken teeth compromise your oral health and can lead to expensive dental repairs. However, many people are unaware of the most common culprits of chipped and broken teeth.
Certain habits and some of the foods you know and love can cause major dental problems, and those issues may not be obvious immediately. Here’s a closer look at the top foods and oral habits that might be putting your teeth at risk.
Common Foods Behind Your Broken or Painful Tooth
Any food that has a hard, crunchy texture or an external shell can hurt, crack, or break your teeth over time. Some of the most common foods that can cause a painful or broken tooth include:
Sticky or Hard Candies
Hard candy is flavorful and fun, but it can also pose serious dental problems. The outer layer of your teeth is called the enamel, and it doesn’t always hold up against hard and abrasive substances like candy.
Sticky candies like taffy can cause their own host of problems as well. These sugar sweet treats stick to your teeth and create a barrier to easy chewing. You might also dislodge prior dental work, such as fillings, in the process, or cause tooth decay due to the sugary foods.
Popcorn
Kernels are one of the top reported causes of tooth pain and even fractures. Popcorn kernels are the hard, dark brown shells that rest inside the fluffy part of each piece. Many of them gather at the bottom of the bag or bowl, but some remain inside the popcorn itself, making it all too easy to bite down on them.
Apples or Other Fruits
The saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” does not always apply to dentists. While these fruits, even dried fruits, are packed full of nutrients, apples are hard and run the risk of weakening or fracturing your teeth. This is especially true for people who eat apples whole with their front teeth.
Instead of biting directly into an apple, try cutting it into slices or cubes. This is far easier on your teeth and jaw muscles, and you still get to enjoy the delicious fruit.
Nuts and Seeds
Chewing sunflower seeds and hard nuts is a common pastime for many people, but it can ultimately lead to a painful tooth. Cracking open sunflower seeds with your teeth puts more pressure on them than normal chewing, which can fracture or even break whole teeth over time.
Whole nuts like pistachios are also to blame. One way to combat this problem is to chop nuts into smaller pieces and remove the shells of seeds before eating them. You can also soak nuts in advance to make them softer.
Ice Cubes
Chewing on ice cubes is never recommended, especially for people with weak enamel and tooth sensitivity. Ice cubes, crushed ice, and ice nuggets all pose the same problem: They’re too hard in their frozen state to effectively chew. This increases the force on your back teeth, which can eventually lead to fractures and other damage.
Excessive Gum Chewing
Gum isn’t always harmful, but chewing it for hours every day can have some negative effects. Anything that puts constant, excessive force on your teeth and jaw muscles can lead to tooth problems.
The human mouth wasn’t meant to chew for prolonged periods of time. This means that when you chew gum excessively, you overexert the muscles and bones that make up your oral cavity. Your teeth are made of bone, and they can only take so much pressure before they start to hurt, break, or crack.
Limit gum chewing to once a day for an hour or less to protect your teeth.
Chewing on Non-Food Objects
Some people absentmindedly chew on hard items like pens while they’re absorbed in other tasks. Unfortunately, this habit can cause permanent harm to your teeth. Non-food objects are not suited for your enamel and can weaken your teeth over time, which often leads to sensitivity and tooth fractures.
You may also chew on the inside of your cheek, your tongue, or your fingernails. While these tissues are generally fairly soft, any excess chewing can make your teeth vulnerable to pain and fractures. Nail biting, in particular, puts too much pressure on your front teeth.
Avoid chewing on anything that you don’t plan on digesting to prevent these problems.
Have a Painful or Broken Tooth or Tooth Sensitivity When Eating? Visit Dr. Brett Langston
Are you dealing with a tooth that’s hurting or broken? Dr. Brett Langston and the team at Dental Implant and Aesthetic Specialists use the latest technology and innovative procedures to restore smiles throughout Atlanta even if you have tooth decay, gum disease, bacterial infections, plaque buildup and more. Book an appointment with us today!
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