Enamel

Enamel is the hardest substance in the body, but it can break fairly easily!

Beware of ice and ice and popcorn. Eating a popcorn kernel is like eating stone– and ice is brittle. It gives you a combination of something ultra hard and something ultra hard. Be especially careful if your mouth is full of fillings. Don’t chomp on things that are hard if you have teeth that have already been repaired.

Also be careful of piercings of the tongue and lip, the metal jewelry harbors bacteria — and can chip teeth.

A metal barbell-like tongue ring is especially bad. Every time you talk, the little barbell hits your teeth.

A 2007 review study published in the American Journal of Dentistry showed that 14% to 41% of people with oral piercings suffered from tooth fractures and wear. They noted that piercing in the mouth may cause “significant oral deformities” and “may lead to tooth loss.”

To keep healthy teeth, treat them with TLC. Don’t use your teeth to open bottles and cans!