Your strong teeth endure wear and tear from chewing and biting all day without issue normally. But under immense pressure, a tooth could chip, crack, or fracture. This dental damage will require urgent repair and restoration from a dentist to amend.
Certain foods will increase this risk of tooth breakage. You can best preserve your dental structure when you understand which types of foods could hurt your teeth in this way. Read on to learn four examples of foods that might break a tooth if you are not careful when eating them.
4 Food Items That Could Cause Tooth Breakage
Popcorn
Many people enjoy popcorn as a fun, salty snack while watching a movie. But the light, fluffy texture can hide hard, unpopped kernels at the bottom of the bowl. If you unknowingly bite down on one of these kernels, you could crack a tooth.
A chip or crack in your tooth will disrupt the look of your smile. But even if it does not hurt, it makes for a vulnerable spot on your tooth that could invite further dental problems. The tooth breakage will also deepen and worsen over time, so do not delay emergency dental work to repair this damage.
Bagels
Bagels can be the staple to the perfect sandwich for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But bagels and other hard bread are denser than many people might realize. If you bite into a bagel without paying attention, you could injure a tooth.
A dentist can restore the structure of the damaged tooth with a dental crown. This ceramic cap will both reshape the tooth and serve as a shield that protects it from further harm.
However, ideally, you should preserve your natural dental structure for as long as you can. Understanding how your bite can impact your oral health can help you prevent this dental damage.
Hard Candy
Hard candy is a type of sweet treat made from boiled sugar that solidifies as it cools. Then you suck on it, enjoying the flavor as it dissolves in your mouth. But many people feel tempted to bite down on this candy rather than let it sit in their mouths.
This could result in a dental injury because the candy is very hard and could break a tooth. If you cannot resist biting hard candy, you may want to consider skipping this treat. You can save both time and money when you avoid dental damage that requires extra dental work by steering clear of harmful food items.
Corn on the Cob
Corn grows naturally on a cob, and eating directly from the cob makes for a fun way to consume this starchy vegetable. However, our teeth are not designed to grate against a hard cob in this manner. And you could therefore have a high risk of hurting your teeth when eating like this.
When you can, you might want to eat corn off of its cob to avoid a dental injury. But if you must eat corn on the cob, be careful when biting.