It's quite annoying when something gets stuck in your teeth while eating. The worst part is that your tongue knows exactly where it is, but you just can't get it out.
In fact, the phenomenon of food getting stuck in teeth is quite common, affecting over 90% of middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 and above. Because it's so common, it's often easily overlooked. Many people think that food getting stuck in teeth is just uncomfortable, and it's fine to use a toothpick to remove it, so it's not a big deal. However, food getting stuck in teeth is not as simple as you think. It hides many unexpected hazards!
What causes food to get stuck in the teeth?
Under normal circumstances, the roots of our teeth are anchored by the alveolar bone, which is surrounded by a layer of gum. They keep the teeth closely packed together, and although the teeth do not remain motionless during chewing, they basically do not create gaps that food could infiltrate. Common causes of food impaction may include:
1. Caries on adjacent surfaces that have damaged the normal tooth structure, resulting in the appearance of gaps.
2. Gaps between teeth caused by misalignment or torsion of teeth due to various reasons.
3. Failure to repair missing teeth in a timely manner can lead to the inclination of teeth on both sides, resulting in gaps between them.
4. Excessively loose teeth have poor contact with adjacent teeth, resulting in gaps.
5. Inclined wisdom teeth can also cause food to easily become lodged in the inclined gaps.
The hazards of a stuffed tooth include:
1. Swelling and pain in the teeth, which can easily lead to hemimastication and even eating disorders.
2. Bad breath. Food residue produces a large amount of bacteria and has an unpleasant taste
3. Caries. Many food impactions can lead to caries.
4. Periodontal disease. Food impactions provide a breeding ground for bacteria, and the proliferation of bacteria can lead to gingivitis.
How to solve the problem of food getting stuck in the teeth?
1. For patients with food impaction caused by gaps between two teeth, if there is caries on the adjacent surface, appropriate filling or restoration methods should be selected according to the specific situation to restore normal contact relationships.
2. For food impaction caused by misaligned or twisted teeth, treatments such as tooth extraction and orthodontics can be chosen according to specific circumstances.
3. Repair treatment should be carried out as soon as possible after the loss of teeth. If the teeth on both sides tilt towards the gap, it will increase the difficulty of treatment. Orthodontic treatment should be carried out first to straighten the tilted teeth and eliminate the gap before proceeding with the repair treatment.
4. For excessively loose teeth, the cause of the looseness should be identified first. Teeth without retention value should be extracted, while for those that can be retained, appropriate treatments such as eliminating local inflammation and fixing the loose teeth should be chosen.
5. Wisdom teeth that cause food impaction should be removed when there is no acute inflammation in the area.
Friendly reminder: Impacted teeth are a manifestation of oral diseases, and it is recommended to seek medical treatment at a professional dental medical institution as soon as possible to prevent the occurrence of more serious oral problems.