Chewing ice can damage teeth and might even crack them, a dentist said, adding that food such as squid, sugar cane and crab legs are also common causes of fractured teeth or damaged gums.
As the mercury is rising, many people like to drink cold beverages with ice, and some people even like to chew ice, but Shinkong Wu Ho-su Memorial Hospital dentist Lin Shih-rong (林世榮) said that he has had patients who have chipped, cracked or even split their teeth from chewing ice.
A 24-year-old woman who often enjoyed eating out with friends complained that her gums were constantly swollen and painful, and frequently bled when she ate food that was hard to chew, such as crabs and sugar cane, Lin said, adding that he diagnosed her with periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is mostly caused by improper oral hygiene, which can contribute to plaque buildup, or receding gums in more serious cases, Lin said, adding that frequently eating hard or rubbery food causes further damage to the teeth, or inflamed, swollen or bleeding gums.
He said the proper way to clean the teeth includes brushing every surface of every tooth and the gum line, but most people only brush about 25 percent of the surface of their teeth, which can only remove about 40 percent of plaque.
If the teeth are not brushed completely, plaque can continue to damage the periodontal tissue and can cause receding gums or numbness of the teeth or gums that can affect a person’s ability to chew, he said.
In addition to thoroughly brushing the teeth and gums and flossing, using mouth wash occasionally can restrict the growth of bacteria between teeth, Lin said, adding that people should see a dentist if they develop bleeding gums, sore teeth or other symptoms of periodontal disease.
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday established a friendship group with their counterparts in Ukraine to promote parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. A ceremony in Taipei for the Taiwan-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Association, initiated by DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷), was attended by lawmakers and officials, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) and European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan Director Lutz Gullner. The increasingly dire situation in Ukraine is a global concern, and Taiwan cannot turn its back when the latter is in need of help, as the two countries share many common values and interests,