Your teeth function to bite, tear, grind, and chew your food, jumpstarting your digestion process. The teeth are designed to withstand the pressure of these oral functions without issue. But accidents can happen that may cause a tooth to chip, crack, or fracture when biting down.
This dental injury could disrupt the even appearance of your smile and put your smile in danger of further dental problems, including oral infections. Do not delay treatment for tooth breakage.
But you can preserve your natural dental structure and avoid injuries when you know which food items could pose this risk to your smile. Read on to find three types of food that could break a tooth if you do not eat carefully.
Popcorn
Popcorn is a fun snack made from hard corn kernels that puff into a light, fluffy food when heated. With salt, butter, and other toppings, many people appreciate eating this food when watching a movie either at home or out at a theater. But this puffy snack can hide unpopped hard kernels at the bottom of your bowl.
If you bite one of these kernels, you could risk breaking a tooth. Sometimes, a broken tooth might leave you in pain. But even if you do not notice any symptoms, tooth breakage could make your smile vulnerable to decay and other further dental damage.
Therefore, dentists consider this injury to be a dental emergency. So contact our dentist about this issue as soon as you can.
Bagels
Many people enjoy bagels, which can help you build a sandwich perfect for any time of day. But you might not realize that bagels and other types of hard bread have a dense texture, which will exert high pressure on your teeth when you bite into them. This puts you in danger of tooth breakage.
A dentist will ask you to visit their office urgently if you do break a tooth. For small cracks or chips, a dentist might use cosmetic dental solutions like bonding or veneers. More severe tooth breakage will likely need restoration with a dental crown.
This ceramic cap will cover the breakage, improving the appearance of the tooth. It also creates a seal that protects it and stops other harm from affecting the tooth.
Hard Candy
Hard candy refers to a type of boiled sugary syrup that solidifies into a beloved sweet treat as it cools. It is designed to be sucked in the mouth while it dissolves, spreading delightful flavor through the mouth. But some people feel tempted to bite on this candy before it dissolves.
This action could severely hurt and break a tooth. If you cannot resist biting hard candy, you may want to avoid this treat or risk a dental injury.
But if you do hurt your tooth, do not wait to call our dentist about this problem. Pay attention to your diet and how you consume certain foods to protect the look, feel, and health of your smile.