Chewing On Ice Is More Than Just Bad For Your Teeth

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Yes, I'll admit it; I've chewed on ice many times over the years, especially in the summer when I want to cool off without ingesting thousands of calories via Baskin-Robbins ice cream. So what?

Well, in my dental-related business I recently came across two facts I never knew; one is that chewing on ice is very harmful to your teeth and can actually lead to having to get a root canal and second, excessively chewing ice is frequently a sign that you're anemic (i.e. lack of iron in your blood).

First, chewing ice can injure your teeth. Teeth are not flat, and when we crunch away on ice or anything hard for that matter, the inclined planes on the tops of the teeth facilitate the chewing motion. If a piece of ice is between your teeth and you bite down at an unusual angle, you could potentially chip off part of the enamel on a tooth. You might also crack or split the tooth itself resulting in an abscess and a trip to the dentist for a root canal. Keep in mind that root canals can cost as much as $1000 or more (although the price is usually closer to $500-$600 if you use a discount dental plan like the kind I discuss on my web site).

Second, obsessively chewing on ice is known as Pagophagia which is actually a type of eating disorder (No Sh*@! Really?) and is defined as an appetite for "substances not fit for food" (similar to the roast turkeys my brother makes every Thanksgiving but, I digress). In all seriousness, Pagophagia has been shown in study after study to be a specific indicator for iron-deficiency anemia. There are even places on the Internet for people who suffer with this condition to talk about ice chewing but quite frankly, I'm not interested enough in this subject to list them here. If you want to find said web sites, Google them yourself.

Healthcare Savings Tip-Of-The-Week
EQUIP YOURSELF - Hospitals, doctor offices and similar types of medical centers usually charge a significant markup on equipment like crutches, bandages and even Tylenol so whenever possible, try purchasing these types of medical equipment on your own, especially using the Internet to save even more money.

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