If we’re being honest with ourselves, we all know what are teeth are supposed to be used for, right? Chewing food. But often, some foods and even non-foods have been known to be chewed on, or at very least ripped or torn by our teeth. But according to the website “Eat This, Not That,” there are a bunch of things that are worse for our teeth than others.
Let’s start with the things that are bad for our teeth that actually are edible. Eat this not that cites gummy candies, hard candies, orange juice, and regular (not diet) sodas. That’s because each of these foods contains sugar, and in the case of orange juice and soda, lots of enamel-eroding acids.
They also suggest that another surprisingly dangerous item is ice – but not because it’s made of water. In fact, water (especially fluoridated water) is the best thing you can drink for your teeth. Unfortunately, once frozen, ice can chip or crack tooth enamel if crunched on, so it is recommended that you not chew on it for the sake of your teeth.
Remember jaw exercisers? They were somewhat of a trend several years ago, but they are not recommended by dentists because they can cause everything from headaches to muscle strain to even temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Plus, they’re not really effective at giving you a chiseled jawline or removing double chins.
Another thing we sometimes chew on that isn’t recommended are pens and pencils. Aside from them not being food, they are too hard and rigid for our teeth and can cause tooth damage including chips and cracks. Plus, have you ever had ink burst in your mouth? It’s not an ideal situation.
Then there are things we shouldn’t be putting in our mouths even if they aren’t something we’d chew on- such as other people’s toothbrushes. While toothbrushes do belong in our mouths, sharing a toothbrush is an excellent way to transmit illness, including gum disease!
These are just a few things you shouldn’t be eating or chewing on, but there are many more things we probably know we shouldn’t chew but do anyway. Just remember, we only get one set of adult teeth, so caring for them the best we can is in our best interest.
