Your teeth are durable and withstand wear and tear without issue on a daily basis. However, hard-textured food items could break the tough exterior of your teeth, leaving cracks, chips, or fractures on their surfaces.
This tooth breakage disrupts your smile’s appearance, but it could also endanger your oral health without prompt restorative treatment from your dental professional. Dr. Jim Lassiter, a dentist serving patients in Milton, FL and the surrounding area, lists four foods that pose a risk of breaking your teeth.
Which Food Items Could Hurt My Smile?
Popcorn
Popcorn is a popular snack choice whether you are spending a night at home or are out at a movie theater. Many people enjoy its light, fluffy texture, but you might notice hard, unpopped kernels at the bottom of your bowl.
If you accidentally bite down on one of these kernels, you could break one of your teeth. A crack in your tooth can deepen over time, even if you do not feel pain. This could heighten your risk of an oral infection, so you should let your dentist know if you sustain this kind of dental damage as soon as you can.
Bagels
Bagels and other hard bread are perfect for making sandwiches. Though you may imagine bread to be soft, bagels are actually quite dense. Biting into one generates more pressure on your teeth than you might guess. You could risk breaking a tooth if you are not careful when eating hard bread.
Hard Candy
Hard candy consists of boiled sugary syrup allowed to harden while it cools, forming a hard-textured sweet treat. The candy is designed to be sucked in the mouth until it dissolves.
However, it can be tempting to bite these candies, which could cause a tooth to chip or fracture. You should avoid doing this so that you do not end up with a dental emergency requiring restorative treatment from your dentist. They may need to cover a fractured tooth with a dental crown to amend the damage.
Corn on the Cob
Corn on the cob is fun to eat, but this food could pose a danger to your teeth. Our teeth are not ideally constructed to bite into the cob of an ear of corn.
Grating your teeth against the corn cob may lead to tooth breakage. Be careful if you do eat this food, and do not hesitate to let your dentist know if you do suffer damage to your teeth.
Get Expert Restorative Dentistry Near Milton, FL
Dr. Lassiter offers dental crowns and other restorative dentistry treatments to patients near Milton, FL. Patients of any age can find expert general and cosmetic dentistry, including professional teeth whitening services, at our practice. We can also employ laser dental solutions if needed. To schedule a consultation with us, contact our office online or reach a member of our staff by phone at 850.427.5891.