Break Out The Floss
There are few things worse than getting a piece of spinach stuck in your teeth and not knowing until someone else points it out to you. Even worse when you only realize after the fact because everyone else was too shy to clue you in! Spinach may be one of the worst offenders, but it is far from the only food that burrows in your molars like it's trying to hibernate. Here are 20 foods that are fun to eat, but a nightmare to pick out of your teeth.
1. Popcorn
Watching a movie doesn't feel complete without a big bowl of buttery popcorn, but you're liable to be picking bits out of your teeth long after the credits roll. Kernels are prone to breaking into little pieces with every bite, but it's the shells you need to watch out for. Those razor-sharp pieces can get wedged deep beneath your gumline.
2. Steak
No matter if you like your steak rare, medium, or well-done, you're probably going to be excavating your back molars after eating. Stringy meats can easily get tangled between teeth as you eat. The chewier the meat is, the more work you're going to put in getting it out of your teeth.
3. Caramel
Carmel or caramel? Whichever way you pronounce it, this sticky treat adheres to teeth as it softens up. Rather than getting caught in the recesses of your mouth, caramel latches onto the outer walls, making its removal a precarious process.
4. Raspberries
The average raspberry has approximately 120 seeds, and you can bet that almost all of them will get stuck in your teeth after eating. Because these seeds are so small, and because nobody eats just one raspberry, you'll probably have to floss to get all the seeds out.
5. Leafy Greens
Spinach is the best-known offender, but other greens such as kale and parsley are just as susceptible to getting stuck. Because these greens are so soft, they're easy to get caught, and difficult to notice as they don't cause physical discomfort. Always check your teeth after digging into a salad
6. Corn On The Cob
Not even corn right off the cob is free from the burrowing urge. The outer membrane of a corn kernel is the perfect size and texture to get caught in your teeth. Corn is normally easier to notice than leafy veggies because, even though it's soft, it has that nasty habit of wrapping around your teeth.
7. Oatmeal
Dried oats, as used in a granola bar are pretty easy to remove if they get stuck. Sticky oatmeal, on the other hand, takes longer to floss than it does to eat.
8. Seeds
Chia, flax, and sesame seeds are great to add texture to summer smoothies or morning bagels. Unfortunately, just like berry seeds, they're just the right size to go spelunking between your incisors, and you'll feel like something is stuck long after it's out.
9. Potato Chips
The starch of potato chips make it so that they easily become gelatinous as they're broken down. As an added bonus (or minus), the sharp edges of potato chips can get wedged easily between teeth. Chewing sugar-free gum afterwards is one way to keep your smile crumb-free.
10. White Bread
People may not realize how easily white bread can get caught between their teeth. Simple starches, especially in softer breads like white bread break down similarly to sugars. As particles are mashed up during mastication, they also grow gloopy and stick to teeth.
11. Saltines
Similarly to white bread, the starch in crackers forms a sort of paste that gets stuck to your teeth. Saltines are among the worst offenders due to how processed they are.
12. Ribs
With such little meat, it should defy logic that ribs are one of the foods most likely to get caught in your teeth. However, because ribs are eaten right off the bone, they contain tendons which keep everything attached. These tendons love to hole up in tight crevices between your teeth.
13. Sour Candy
Sour candy—such as peach rings and Sour Patch Kids—tends to be extremely sticky and chewy. It's especially tricky for little ones who have large or misaligned gaps in their teeth.
14. Chicken Wings
No matter how tender your wings are, just like ribs, they've got those slippery sinews. Between the annoying bits of meat stuck in your teeth and the chewy cartilage at the joints, we'd advise a toothpick or flosser on hand for wing Wednesday.
15. Raisins
Dried fruits such as raisins may make for a healthy snack, but the gelatinous texture makes for a sticky snack. Dried fruits also have tiny seeds hidden inside that can glue themselves to your teeth. The natural sugars found in fruit can also lead to tooth decay if left untreated.
16. Candy Apples
We've already gone over caramel in all varieties, but those ruby-red candy apples you get at fairs can also do a number on your teeth. The crystalized sugar coating is hard enough to make you worry you've broken something on first bite. Once it's softened up enough, the worry shifts to whether you're going to be able to detach your tooth.
17. Blackberries
Another berry, blackberries are full of seeds just like raspberries. Unlike raspberries, they have one big seed in the middle rather than hundreds of little ones. One way to enjoy this seasonal fruit without excavating your teeth is to smash them against the roof of your mouth before swallowing. Or buy seedless varieties.
18. Hard Candies
Hard candy doesn't stay hard for very long. As soon as it comes into contact with the warmth of your mouth, it starts to soften up just long enough to fasten itself to your teeth like sticky glue. Lollipops and toffee are among the worst offenders.
19. Figs
If you thought raspberries had a lot of seeds, figs put those numbers to shame. The typical fig can contain anywhere from 30 to over 1500 seeds depending on the fruit. They're even more perilous to eat when dried, as the seeds are more likely to get caught without your notice.
20. Fish
Like any meat, the more stringy fish is, the more likely it is to get stuck. However, fish has another trick up its' sleeve. While 99% of the fish you eat will be thoroughly de-boned, the fragile, microscopic nature of those bones make it possible for them to evade the knife and get caught between teeth.
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