How To Eat Popcorn Without Getting Kernels In Your Teeth?
Kernels are the backbone of popcorn. They not only hold popcorn but also give a crispy taste when dissolved in the mouth.
The thing with them is that they can easily get trapped between your braces, gums, and teeth, which is a problem, as removing them is a challenging task.
If stuck and left for longer, they can cause pain, irritation, and inflammation in both teeth and gums.
So, how do you eat popcorn without getting kernels in your teeth?
Well, that’s precisely what we’ll find out in this blog post, so let’s dive straight into this!
How To Eat Popcorn Without Getting Kernels In Your Teeth?
The following are possible ways to prevent kernels from getting in your teeth and gums.
Just remove kernels out
The first no-brainer thing you can do is to get rid of the kernels from your popcorn and eat the popcorn alone. If it’s not there in the first place, there’s no chance it’s getting stuck inside your teeth.
Such popcorn is better known as hull-less popcorn, where no centred solid object exists. However, you will deprive yourself of the real taste of crunchy kernels.
Hull-less popcorn is usually taken during the initial days of wisdom teeth extraction or when solid foods are prevented for a certain amount of time.
Make fluffy popcorn
There are several ways of making popcorn fluffy.
One way is to soak kernels in water for 10 – 15 minutes and drain and dry them before cooking. According to some popcorn lovers, the additional moisture helps produce fluffier popcorn that doesn’t quickly get stuck in your teeth.
You should definitely try this solution if you don’t have any problems with soft popcorn.
Eat carefully
Be attentive while you’re chewing popcorn and swallow it after some bites before it gets stuck in your teeth.
Simply put, eat popcorn consciously so you may not mistakenly get kernels stuck inside your teeth.
Don’t chew hard
Chewing a popcorn hard will dig the kernel into the lines of upper or lower molars so therefore it’s best to chew it slowly so that most of the kernel pieces remain in your mouth, other than your teeth.
Use your tongue
With the help of the tongue, you can protect your teeth from kernels.
Use your tongue to remove the kernels silently getting in your teeth.
Roll it circularly throughout the teeth to remove hidden kernels.
What to do if the popcorn kernels are stuck inside your teeth or gums?
The above section discussed preventing or disallowing kernels from getting stuck in your teeth and gums. But what if the kernels have already been stuck inside your teeth or gums? How do you get rid of them?
Here’s how!
Floss your teeth
Flossing is a perfect option to remove popcorn from the lines of your teeth.
Make sure you’re flossing your teeth with gentle motions, and always use professional floss picks rather than a thread.
Flossing is a good practice even on regular days because it helps remove the particles stuck inside your teeth.
A floss can hardly reach the backmost area of your mouth, such as molar or wisdom teeth. Luckily, a toothbrush can touch all your teeth, so you should take that to your advantage and use toothbrush bristles to remove stuck kernels from your teeth.
The best thing is that brushing with toothpaste will also help remove yellowish colour and small sticky particles of popcorn from the teeth and gums.
You can also use an electric toothbrush if you want to.
Have salt water rinse
Rinse your mouth with warm salt water once you’re done eating popcorn. That will help to flush stuck kernels from teeth and gums. It is also viable against pain and inflammation.
It’s pretty simple to do a saltwater rinse.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a cup of warm water and mix it.
- Rinse forcefully to remove all the particles.
- Try to spread it to every corner of your mouth, especially the back of your teeth.
Use toothpick
A toothpick could be a lifesaver for you if the kernels have been stuck in the hole of your molar, and despite using ways of flossing and brushing, you’re not able to get rid of them. This can happen because sometimes the kernel fits very firmly in the molar that it becomes nearly impossible for toothbrushes and floss to remove them, and this is where a toothpick could be helpful!
Be careful when using a toothpick; it can hurt your gums if improperly; use it only for teeth.
Can you eat popcorn if you have no teeth?
While you can eat popcorn even if you don’t have teeth, you must be careful while eating it as popcorn kernels are hard to break down with just gums.
But if you are experiencing pain or swelling in your gums, you must avoid it.
Popcorn, in a way, is bad for dental health as chewing produces a large amount of acid, which is quite harmful to enamel. It can also be dangerous for gums and dentures.
How to get a popcorn kernel out of your gums with braces?
With braces, it is pretty hard to remove the kernel if it is stuck in the front gums.
Firstly, try to remove with a forceful rinse; if that doesn’t work, use an interdental brush.
Popcorn with braces is not good; the kernel is quite hard, which may break one or more brackets. Popcorn may also stick between the wires, usually removed with an orthodontist.
When Can I Eat Popcorn After Wisdom Teeth Removal?
The best decision is to avoid popcorn 6 – 8 weeks after wisdom teeth removal.
The reason is quite simple; when you eat popcorn, kernels sticking into the teeth hole is almost one hundred percent certain, which may cause complications.
Thus, it is wise to wait for a reasonable time and not hurry to eat popcorn after wisdom teeth extraction.
The Bottom Line
Popcorn is a very common snack that’s very regularly taken. The only downside is that its kernels can easily get trapped inside the teeth, which we know by now is a huge problem. So be sure you eat popcorn using the techniques we shared in this post.
If you maintain proper oral hygiene and prevent kernels to stuck in your mouth, you can save your teeth and gums from issues like pain, inflammation, and decay.
We believe you are now clear about how you can avoid kernels getting inside your teeth and how to get rid of them if needed.
