Chewing ice could be a sign of this underlying health issue

Time to find a new habit

Your habit of absentmindedly chewing on ice after finishing your drink could indicate more than boredom. According to experts, craving ice can be a sign of greater health issues.

If you’re always the person at the table scooping ice out of glasses to chew on, we’ve got bad news.

The soothing habit could not only be damaging your teeth, but also indicating other health issues.

Why do you crave ice?

While it’s sometimes as simple as wanting a nice cooling sensation on a hot day, or a quick way to soothe a sore throat, regularly craving ice to chew on can be a sign of underlying health problems. 

Craving things with no nutritional value like ice, paper, dirt or clay is called ‘pica’, and is associated with iron deficiency. So if you can’t stop chewing, you may want to pay your GP a visit. 

How chewing ice affects your teeth

Not only does chewing on ice provide no nutritional benefit, the mindless habit can seriously hurt your teeth. 

It can result in cracked tooth enamel, which can develop into fractures, chips or breaks in the tooth.

It’s classed as an oral parafunctional activity, as are tooth grinding, thumb sucking, lip biting, tongue thrusting, pen chewing, and other repetitive mouth actions. Image: Getty

Assistant professor at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, Holly Shaw said “Even though enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, it still can get damaged by repeatedly chewing something that is hard, and ice definitely falls into that category”.

Large, solid pieces of ice can be more damaging than smaller, softer pieces, so if you can’t break the habit, try to opt for a slushy-like consistency if you can. 

Shaw says this way “you get that soothing, focusing effect of chewing something crunchy without it being as traumatic” to your teeth.

Ice isn’t the only oral fixation habit that can damage your teeth. It’s classed as an oral parafunctional activity, as are tooth grinding, thumb sucking, lip biting, tongue thrusting, pen chewing, and other repetitive mouth actions. 

Those with a misaligned bite, old fillings or crowns, tooth demineralisation or genetic dental issues have a greater risk of damage from chewing on hard things such as ice. Image: iStock

Who is more at risk of tooth damage from chewing ice

Lecturer on oral health policy and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Alec Eidelman said “These oral parafunctional habits by themselves for healthy teeth may not always be damaging and harmful. But when teeth are compromised or at risk for any number of different reasons, then it becomes a little bit more dangerous”.

He explained they can cause bleeding, gum recession and bone loss as a result of stress on the ligaments that connect our teeth and bones. 

Although most people do one or multiple oral parafunctional activities, particularly when they’re stressed or anxious, some are more at risk of dental issues than others. 

Those with a misaligned bite, old fillings or crowns, tooth demineralisation or genetic dental issues have a greater risk of damage from chewing on hard things such as ice.

If you feel like you need oral stimulation but want to protect your teeth, there are plenty of alternatives to chewing on ice. Image: iStock

Alternatives to chewing ice

If you feel like you need oral stimulation but want to protect your teeth, there are plenty of alternatives to chewing on ice, including:

#1. Using drinking straws

#2. Chewing sugar-free gum

#3. Crunching on raw carrots or celery sticks

Originally published as Chewing ice could be a sign of this underlying health issue