Does Chewing on Ice Hurt Your Teeth?

Your teeth are some of the strongest parts of your body – but also some of the most sensitive. They are responsible for a lot of actions that make your life comfortable and survivable. We often take our teeth for granted, and we don’t usually realize how much we rely on them for many aspects of our daily life, including eating, speaking, and smiling.

At Samaritan Dental, we take teeth seriously, and we want to help you take them seriously, too. Since we use our teeth so frequently, we tend to develop habits surrounding them as well. Some are good habits – like brushing every day – while others may not be so beneficial to our long-term health. If you need to see a dentist in Downtown Los Angeles, do not hesitate to reach out to Samaritan Dental today!

One such habit involves chewing on ice. We have all done this before, especially when enjoying a nice cold drink on a hot day. But when it becomes a habit, is chewing on ice something to worry about?

Let’s talk about the risks of chewing on ice.

Why Chew Ice?

First, we must understand what compels people to chew on ice so frequently. There are many different reasons why someone may find themselves forming a habit around chewing ice. A Medical News Today story reports these major underlying conditions that cause us to crave ice:

• Stress and emotional issues – It may be soothing to chew on something as a means of reducing stress or nerves.
• OCD – Someone with obsessive thoughts can find chewing ice a good solution to satisfy those behaviors.
• Anemia – Otherwise known as an iron deficiency, those with anemia are often compelled to chew ice, although nobody is sure why.
• Dehydration – Always being thirsty or having a dry mouth can cause someone to want to chew ice to cool them down.

There are other causes and conditions as well, some of them more severe than others. But the most common reasons for feeling compelled to chew ice often have underlying symptoms that can be treated respectively.

Issues with Chewing on Ice

Now let’s talk about the ways in which constantly chewing on ice can hurt your teeth. Keep in mind that there are different shapes and consistencies of ice, and the harder the ice cube, the more damage it will do to your pearly whites.

Tooth Damage

Although chewing ice is a fairly common habit and mindless activity, it can do a lot of irrevocable damage to the teeth. Teeth are at risk for being chipped, broken, and ground down by hard ice cubes constantly crushing against them.

Stripped Enamel

The American Dental Association lists chewing ice cubes as one of the worst habits for your teeth. Enamel is just as hard as ice, and when these two substances rub together, they break each other down.

The ADA suggests switching to cold beverages without any ice cubes to reduce your frequency of indulging in this habit.

Increased Sensitivity

Continuously exposing your teeth to freezing temperatures can cause an imbalance in sensitivity, making you much more affected by hot and cold foods in the future.

Habit-Breaking Alternatives

At Samaritan Dental, we believe every problem has a solution. Multiple solutions, in fact! Here are a few suggestions that might help you break this bad habit once and for all.

Make it Slushy

Crushed ice is better than whole ice cubes. Really soft, slushy ice that pretty much becomes water by the time it hits your teeth is an ideal alternative to the big frozen crystals, and it still satisfies your need to crunch something.

Use Inedible Ice Cubes

You can find alternatives to ice cubes that you can’t put in your mouth. Some stores sell plastic balls that can be frozen and then plopped into your drinks, helping to keep your beverage cool without compelling you to eat it. Or, you can use a frosted glass!

Switch to Healthy Snacks

Sometimes you just crave something crunchy. That’s totally natural, but instead of continuing to munch on ice, switch to something like carrots or apple slices. That way, you are eating real food that provides you with nutrients and doesn’t put your teeth at risk for breaking.

Assess Your Oral Health Today!

Are you ready to nip your bad habits in the bud? Our friendly professionals can help! At Samaritan Dental, your smile is our passion. For more information about our services, including emergency dentistry, please contact us online or give us a call at (213) 986-2933 today!