In my years of experience, I have had a lot of patients present with broken teeth after they unexpectedly bit into something hard. Not only does this harm their health, but can end up costing them thousands, too! A few patients have recently asked what foods they should be careful with.

Here are the 4 most common foods that can unexpectedly break your teeth:

1. Olive Pits

Machine-pitted olives are usually safe for your teeth, but a rogue pit could cost you big. Many times there are warnings on the labels of the jar, but who reads those? Olive pits are very hard and can damage teeth, especially if you are taking a big bite and not expecting them to be there. 

2. Small Pieces of Bones in Meat

Similarly to olive pits, the unexpected bone in meat can do serious damage to your teeth.

3. Biting into a Fork

We often see patients with chipped front teeth from making contact with their fork. Do your best to avoid direct contact between the fork and your teeth, or you could end up paying for a new tooth along with dinner!

4. Popcorn

Like olives & meat, popcorn is usually tooth-friendly but can have unexpectedly hard kernel pieces inside them that can break your teeth. Also, small pieces of kernel shells fit the contour of the teeth perfectly and can get stuck and buried under the gums, which may cause discomfort and inflammation. 

Have you broken a tooth on an unexpected chew? Let us know in the comments!