Did you know that 5% of all dental emergencies are because of popcorn? Yes, popcorn is a culprit, and we're here today to expose how it can damage your teeth.
What's the one thing that we cannot forget at the movies? Besides our tickets of course, popcorn! It's way better than any overpriced candies or food behind the concession counter. Of course, the best part is sharing it with your friends and family and running out before the movie even starts. When you get to the bottom of the bucket, you pick at the half-popped kernels to get the last of the popcorn.
~Crack.~
At first you think that’s just the kernel, but the reality is you just cracked your tooth. The movies starting but you’re bleeding so you rush out only to realize that you’re missing a tooth!
The Big Popcorn Problem
Okay, not all movie theatre experiences are exactly like this, but in the last 3 years, 5% of all emergency dental surgeries is popcorn related. Consumers are prone to broken or cracked teeth thanks to popcorn.
You can probably relate to the feeling of having a ‘corn husk stuck between your teeth. It’s annoying! These wafer-thin pieces of popcorn are the cause of severe gum inflammation and, in some cases, gum abscesses (small pockets of pus underneath the roots of your teeth). In addition to lodged kernel shells, small pieces of popcorn will find themselves trapped between your teeth, near impossible to clean out through brushing or flossing.
The last 2 decades alone, popcorn is one of the Top 10 reasons people require emergency dentistry. It’s up there amongst other reasons like brawls, lack of dental hygiene, inflammation of wisdom teeth and broken braces. That’s right, people go to the dentist for popcorn-related injuries as much as fist fights.
Popcorn is truly the trojan horse of all ways you can hurt your teeth. You wouldn’t think the innocent snack you eat during a movie would ever be as much a danger as smoking or poor hygiene. However, studies show that we’re absent-minded when it actually comes to chewing popcorn. We let our teeth slip and grid against each other, something we don’t do with other foods. As a result, our teeth develop fissures and fractures that progressively get worse over time and will be a future problem.
Maybe you didn’t know this problem existed, but now you do. On the other hand, popcorn producers have been very aware of this problem, and since have been working on a solution to their own problem. They’re doing their best to create kettle popcorn that won’t go uncooked. That’s good to hear, but for now we should be weary of what pieces of popcorn we put into our mouth.
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