The foods that you eat definitely have a big impact on your oral health. If you eat foods that are high in sugar, you will need to brush your teeth right away in order to make sure the sugar doesn't eat the enamel off your teeth. However, there is a lot more to your diet and oral health than just that. Some foods are too hard to chew and can result in a cracked tooth, which in turn can lead to a dental emergency and a fairly large bill. If you don't want to worry about breaking a tooth on your food, then consider substituting some of your favorite foods with one of these softer alternatives.

Instead of Chewing On Ice, Just Drink Water

Many people like to chew the remnants of the ice that are lingering in their glass after their beverage is gone. However, ice chewing can lead to a cracked tooth or enamel problems over time, so one of the best things you should do if you are an ice chewer is to just have beverages without ice in them at all. If you are craving something cold to chew on, or you just want that cold, refreshing sensation, then you can just drink water instead, which should have the same taste and effect as ice, just without the chewing motion.

If You Like Hard Candy, Try Fruit Instead

Hard candy is one of the worst things that you can eat if you are avoiding a dental emergency. One wrong bite on the candy before it is fully-melted and your tooth can end up getting cracked. Therefore, if you are craving something sweet, you may want to try substituting fruit for the candy instead. There are many different ways you can do this: by just eating fruit by itself when you want a sweet taste, or by freezing the fruit and then sucking on it just like you would a piece of hard-candy until the fruit is warm enough for you to chew. This will still promote the chewing habit that you like, but it will wreak far less havoc on your teeth.

Never Crunch On Popcorn, Try Dry Cereal or Granola Instead

Popcorn is bad for your teeth for obvious reasons. Not only can remnants of it get stuck in your gums or in between your teeth and do damage, but if you crunch on a kernel that is hard because it didn't fully pop, you can end up cracking a tooth. Therefore, if you want something that has the same fluffy consistency as popcorn and that provides that same satisfying crunch, it may be a good idea for you to pick dry cereal or granola instead. Dry cereal isn't bad for your teeth, and if you choose granola, you will also be getting a snack that is quite healthy for you, whereas popcorn is not.

Avoiding a dental emergency is quite easy. As long as you are willing and able to play a quick game of "eat this, not that," then you should be able to find a healthy substitute for your favorite tooth-damaging foods in no time at all and avoid having to shell out hundreds of dollars to repair a cracked tooth. However, if an emergency does occurs, contact a local emergency dental office.