How You Break Teeth
Of course what we want to tell you is how "not" to break teeth. By telling you how teeth can be broken and how the mouth can be injured, we hope to help you reduce the risks. Injuries can occur in many ways to the mouth. It can happen by some of the foods we are eating, sports injuries, or just plain bad luck accidents. A molar tooth that has had a large filling for many years can develop cracks which leak and stain. Often teeth which finally break have had cracks developing for a long time.

Some things we can do to lessen the chances of injury to the mouth...

There are some foods to be cautious with. Our mouth is programmed to tell us when we are biting on something that is too hard and to stop our biting pressure. This is so we will avoid injury. However when something hard is hidden in our food we may bite with too much force before we realize the problem, and then get into trouble. Some examples are: cherries with pits, olives with pits, breads with concealed seeds, hard nuts or candies.

Oral jewelry such as tongue barbells are another source of cracked or broken teeth. The barbell can get over between the teeth when biting.

We can also get into trouble when we try to use our teeth for tasks they were not designed for. People come up with some unusual habits.
Here is a list of things that could cause problems for your teeth or mouth:
Chewing on ice. Holding things with your teeth such as screws, nails, hair accessories, keys, flashlights. Opening containers with your teeth (some people tried to open beer bottles with their teeth before twist caps came along). Chewing on pencils, pens, fingernails etc. Biting off string, plastic. Biting or tugging on liquorice or other tough foods like toffee.

Sports and Accidental Injuries

A common event that sends someone to the dental office is a sports, or accidental injury. Protective equipment is your best safeguard against harm to your mouth. Please consider wearing properly fitting helmets, face-masks, and custom fitted mouthguards. Common sense helps too, attempting foolish stunts or tricks can lead to accidents.
It is always easier and less expensive to prevent injuries than to repair the damage afterward. When participating in sports a custom fitted mouthguard will reduce the risk of injury.

Smile Health