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Posted on 11/25/2019 by Thomas Wold, DMD |
 Nothing is better than a cold refreshing drink on a hot summer's day, but what happens when your glass runs dry and you are left sweltering in the heat? Many people will take the ice at the bottom of their drink and pop it into their mouth. (What comes next will make most dentists cringe.) The person chomps down on the ice cubes to get one last little use out of their cold drink. While the ice may save you from the heat, it will not save your teeth from anything. In fact, it could actually harm them. Chewing ice is a ritual carried out by many people to cool off or to keep their mouths busy, but the effects of chewing ice can be detrimental to your dental health. Ice is very hard, and while it may seem like your teeth do a great job of crushing it up, it puts a lot of unnecessary stress on them. Chewing ice enough can put a person at risk for chipped or broken teeth which can be a costly thing to fix. If you find yourself unable to stop chewing ice, it could be an indication of other medical problems. Why Do You Want to Chew Ice?There are many reasons that a person might feel compelled to chew ice. For some, it is a way to beat the heat, but for others, it could be a sign your body is deficient in iron. Iron deficiency, also known as anemia, can cause a person to want to chew ice because chewing ice has been found to send more blood to the brain. The body receives a positive signal from the extra blood in the brain, and your body may want to do it over and over again.Another reason a person might want to constantly chew ice is because they be afflicted with an eating disorder called pica. Pica is an eating disorder that compels a person to eat nonfood items. People with pica report that they find items with interesting textures as more appetizing than others, so it could be possible that ice has an appetizing texture to a person afflicted with pica. The bottom line is that you should limit your ice eating, and if possible, stop it completely. If you have more questions about foods that you should avoid, please contact us at our office. We will be happy to talk with you. |
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