love chewing ice? STOP!! u may be iron deficient 😰

if you know me, you’ll know that i LOVE chewing ice & it’s one of my guilty pleasures 😬 i’ve been doing it for the longest time even though i know it’s such a bad habit 🌚

it was only until recently that i came across a tiktok video where a person’s tooth broke from chewing ice that i decided that maybe it’s time to end this bad habit once & for all … 🥲

so after doing my own research, i have concluded that chewing ice is NOT worth the risks, so here’s some examples of what it can do to your teeth 🦷

1. it causes wear & tear on your enamel resulting in microfractures, which can cause your tooth to chip or break. if this happens, you may have to do a root canal & that’s smth you don’t want to mess w 💀

2. it increases tooth sensitivity, so you might experience much more discomfort or sensitivity when you eat cold or hot foods. 🥵

3. it can cause gum infections if a sharp piece of ice punctures your gum, & you’ll be more prone to cavities & tooth decay from the damage to the enamel. 🤡

HOWEVER, if you find yourself actively craving ice (like i do), it may be a sign of an underlying condition rather than just an innocent bad habit. it may actl be a sign of iron deficiency ‼️

apparently chewing substances with no nutritional value like ice can be linked to an iron deficiency or anaemia as it’s theorised that the cooling effects of chewing ice can boost blood flow to the brain, which helps iron deficient people increase their alertness. (THIS IS SO TRUE FOR ME OK i am low on my iron count, & i’m alw actively craving ice esp when i’m studying late at night 🥲🥲🥲)

if you want to check whether you are iron deficient, you can alw do an iron count test at the doctor’s, or the free option is to donate blood & the nurse will let you know if your iron count is sufficient! 😅🩸

lastly, if you’re looking to kick this bad habit like me, here’s some alternatives that you can try instead:

1. increase your intake of iron! you can do so by eating more red meat, green & leafy veg, or taking iron supplements. if you are iron deficient, you may notice that you crave ice less once you have more iron in you 💪

2. switch to slush. you can try replacing ice cubes w softer types of ice eg. shaved ice, frozen beverages, or ice-based desserts, which are slushier and easier on the teeth. personally i love bingsu & find that it’s a rly good way for me to satisfy my ice cravings 🥶

3. when ordering drinks, opt for them without ice. totally unds that this is hard, but this is to eliminate the temptation of chewing on ice once you’re done w the drink! the upside of this is that at least your drink will never be diluted 🍻

🍋 hope this has been educational for all! do let me know if you have this bad habit too, or if you have any other advice to help kick this addiction! 🧊

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