“My son has a habit of biting ice. Will this harm his teeth?”
My 17 year old son has a habit of biting and chewing on ice. Will this harm his teeth in the long run?
12 Answers
DentistToothDisorders
This is a bad habit and can cause teeth to break and TMJ problems. I would advise you to try to break this habit asap.
Yes. Ice is a very hard structure damaging to teeth. Crushed ice that is not just fresh out of the freezer is not as bad but still can damage teeth.
The ice is likely to cause micro fractures, which could eventually result in teeth breaking. Any fillings are also subject to breakage when subjected to the stress of chewing on ice. Try changing to crushed ice for awhile, then eliminate the habit.
In the long run this can affect his teeth. Often seen with this are fractured teeth and fractured fillings both requiring repair.
Absolutely!!! It's a very bad and harmful habit. Could be treated as a vice that needs to end.
If he countinues to chew ice, his teeth will begin to crack. I have one patient who has cracked three teeth this way and needed two root canals. Best to keep foods as close to body temperature as possible.
A habitual ice chewing behavior will have long-term deleterious effects on ones’s dentition/teeth.
FGP
FGP
Try to get him to switch over to shaved ice to avoid trauma to his incisor teeth in the front of his mouth or breaking feelings from the trauma of his back teeth gnashing on hard ice cubes.
More people fracture their teeth on ice, popcorn, and shelled nuts. Additionally, ice can wear the enamel and cause you to need fillings to replace this enamel at your gum line so that recession isn't a problem.
Hi,
Yes, if your son continue to chew ice, he can crack his teeth. It’s difficult to predict the extend of the crack. Some patients are very lucky and only have a small chip and other patients crack the whole tooth result in extraction. Early signs of chewing ice may also be sensitivity in teeth or discomfort in jaw muscles. I strongly recommend your child stop the habit. Perhaps have a conversation with his dentist at his next visit.
Best,
Lisa Wu, DMD
Yes, if your son continue to chew ice, he can crack his teeth. It’s difficult to predict the extend of the crack. Some patients are very lucky and only have a small chip and other patients crack the whole tooth result in extraction. Early signs of chewing ice may also be sensitivity in teeth or discomfort in jaw muscles. I strongly recommend your child stop the habit. Perhaps have a conversation with his dentist at his next visit.
Best,
Lisa Wu, DMD
Ice chewing can damage teeth and should be discouraged.
Yes, chewing ice is very harmful to our teeth. It can cause fractures in our teeth and break the tooth structure.
