Eating has always been a lifelong passion of mine. I consider myself lucky to live in Sydney, a city renowned for its diverse cuisine from around the world. So, when I find myself in situations where I am unable to eat freely, I get devastated.
A few months ago, I woke up with a swollen gum at the back of my mouth. I shrugged it off, thinking it would go away on its own, and proceeded with my daily activities as usual. I went to a barbie for a friend’s birthday, where I ordered the Szechuan spicy pot, and I religiously drank my ice-cold Coke Zero. Five days later, I couldn’t take it anymore and went to the dentist. He found a terrible crack at the back of my mouth.
The diagnosis made me feel terrible. I had to slow down my eating habits for a whole week. The worst part was when I had to reject an invitation to a new restaurant opening in town. It may be sad, but sometimes you have to sacrifice some things to improve your health. But really, what food shouldn’t you eat to avoid further damage to your cracked tooth?
Foods to Avoid
1. Hard Food
Biting into hard food puts extra pressure on your teeth. Even without any tooth problems, we still struggle to bite into hard food sometimes. Imagine hard rock candy, a baguette or even almonds. Having a cracked tooth and biting into hard food may cause more stress on the affected tooth and lead to further problems. Just the thought of it makes my teeth chatter.
2. Hot & Cold Foods/ Drinks
Consuming cold foods, such as ice cream or cold drinks, may exacerbate your toothache. The extremely low temperature of the food or drink may be overwhelming as your tooth is sensitive. The same goes for hot foods or beverages. The heat from the food or drink may aggravate the toothache and sensitivity. Other than that, if you don’t seem to have a tooth crack and your tooth has funny responses to hard and cold food, you should get it checked.
3. Nuts
Hard-shelled nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or macadamia nuts, may be harmful to your teeth if consumed without care. An avid skier accidentally ate a nutshell; the shell went up his left eye tooth and split it. It cost him around $2,000 to get the tooth extracted and a fake one mounted. Nuts are healthy, but if you are unlucky or already have problems with your teeth, you should avoid them or put them in water to soften them.
4. Crunchy Produce
Again, although foods like carrots and apples are nutritious, it’s best if you find other healthy alternatives while your tooth is healing. Sometimes a carrot or apple can be quite hard, and biting it from a certain angle takes more effort from your teeth - it may cause more damage to the crack. You don’t have to avoid carrots or apples altogether, but you may consider cutting them into smaller pieces.
Want to Learn More about Caring for a Damaged Tooth?
When I had my cracked tooth problem, I still managed a few sips of soda without ice. I ate a hotpot takeout one time (I swear it was only one time), but I had to wait until it cooled off. A cracked tooth is a fixable problem, and you should be cautious about your eating habits for a while.
For more information or to book an appointment, we welcome your call!