Bone chewing is a very common practice here in Nigeria. In fact, it is widely believed that one needs to chew bone to get calcium for strong bones and teeth. This is not true as there are richer sources of calcium which includes dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt. Dark leafy vegetables are also rich sources of calcium.
The human tooth is known to be the hardest structure in the human body and it plays an important role in chewing food for easy swallowing and digestion. Although the human tooth is very strong, it could fracture if made to do more than its capacity.
When one is chewing food and accidentally bites on a piece of bone, the tooth undergoes a form of injury which could range from mild, moderate to severe. In very severe cases, the tooth splits into 2 instantly exposing the pulp; in other cases, it has a thin fracture which is not readily visible but is often very painful.
Cow leg(bokoto), Goat pepper soup(isi ewu), turkey, chicken etc are common culprits and one needs to exercise some caution while enjoying these delicacies. People who chew bone often boast about how strong their teeth are until they experience a tooth fracture. Sometimes the fracture is minimal and can be restored back to function.
The following are Risk factors for fracture:
- Age- as one gets older, the teeth wears down and is prone to fracture when excessive force is applied.
- Tooth decay- people with holes on their teeth are also predisposed to fracture as the hole on the tooth weakens the tooth structure thereby making it brittle.
- Dental restorations- People who have had a form of dental filling or the other are prone to having a tooth fracture; the force applied during bone chewing separates the tooth from the filling leading to fracture.
Treatment:
It is important you visit your dentist as soon as possible because early presentation increases the chances of saving the tooth. The treatment depends on the severity of fracture and may include: Fillings, Crown placements, Root canal treatment or Extraction.
How to Prevent tooth fracture
Wash your meat thoroughly and rid them of any loose bone which could cause fracture. This mostly applies to those who buy frozen chicken or turkey from vendors who cut with machete. This is because the vendor hacks on the meat repeatedly breaking the bone into tiny pieces; these tiny pieces if not removed totally could be dislodged in stew which then causes accidental biting with eventual tooth fracture.