Health

What does hot food do to your teeth ?

Many people are in the habit of eating hot food. Some even eat the food while it’s still cooking. Eating hot food can cause pain and teeth sensitivity. However, it is rare to develop teeth sensitivity to hot food overnight but it could increase the chances. There are several disadvantages of eating hot food.

Even though some foods are better eaten warm but not hot. When the food is hot, it could affect your enamel and even cause decay. Read and learn why dentists discourage eating hot food.

  • Injures your tongue : The tongue tastes the food first. Therefore, if the food is hot, it will affect the tongue first. Hot food can burn your tongue and cause blisters. The heat from the food can burn sensitive tissues in your tongue. These burns can cause severe pain and take time to heal.
  • Affects the gum : Like the tongue, hot food also affects the gum negatively. For instance, when you take a spoonful of hot food, you have to chew it after your tongue has tasted it. If the food is too hot, it will also burn the gum. When your gum is injured, chewing will become difficult. In addition, it will desensitize your gum to a large extent.
  • Desensitize your taste buds : Hot food causes desensitization of your taste buds. The negative aspect is that you will no longer detect when food is hot. In addition, when the food is at room temperature, it will not be appealing to eat. If you can no longer detect hot food, you always have injuries in your mouth.
  • Causes stains on the teeth : People who enjoy drinking coffee, tea, etc., should know that it could cause stains on their teeth. Hot beverages will make your teeth dull and discolored. Don’t forget these beverages often contain a molecule called tannins. The tannins will stain your teeth and get worse if you always drink hot beverages.

Generally, it is not advisable to eat food when it’s very hot. Allow the food to cool down before you start eating. The same thing applies to hot beverages like tea, coffee, etc. The tongue, gum, and the rooftop of your mouth are easily affected if you constantly eat hot food.

How long should I wait before eating hot food ?

As you have seen, eating hot food is not good for your enamel, gum, and tongue. After cooking the food, allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes before eating. Mind you, the timeframe may be less if the weather is cold. In cold weather conditions, you can start eating within 2 minutes after cooking. The general rule is to wait till the food cools down to the point where it will not burn your tongue, gum, or discolor your enamel.

Conclusion

Don’t damage your dental by eating hot food all the time. Let your food cool down a little before you start eating. You can do the dishes after cooking while you wait for the food to be cool. Finally, if hot food has caused damage to your dental health, reach out to a dental care like Vera Smile.