When we think of foods that are damaging to our teeth, most people tend to think of sweets and fizzy drinks (and for good reason). However, there’s another food that’s causing damage to the nation’s teeth, and it comes in the form of what’s considered to be a healthy snack….popcorn.
The sales of popcorn have doubled in the past five years, and us Brits are eating twice as much as anywhere else in Europe, but this has meant the number of popcorn-related problems hitting dental surgeries also doubling over the past three years.
Dr Mark Hughes, a senior partner at the Harley Street Dental Group, told the Sunday Telegraph: “In my 25 years as a dentist, popcorn is easily among the top five reasons for broken teeth.
“Five years ago I would perhaps see one case of a broken tooth in 20 caused by popcorn but in the last two or three years, that has risen to one in ten and the number is only going up.”
Popcorn lovers are risking broken and cracked teeth due to biting down on un-popped kernels. Then there is the risk of inflammation, gum disease and tooth loss when small pieces of popcorn get lodged between teeth and bits of the shell get stuck below the gum line.
If you have damaged your teeth after enjoying a bag of ‘posh popcorn’, get in touch with one of our friendly team to see how we can help.