Why Does My Teeth Hurt When I Eat Chocolate Every Time?

By - Nishat Tasnim

My friend once asked me what happiness means to me. My answer: a chocolate bar – bitter, sweet, and alive.

Chocolate is everyone’s favorite. Mine too. However, this chocolate is also the reason for my misery. I always wonder why does my teeth hurt when I eat chocolate. What I found is worth my expedition to knowledge.

Few factors cause pain while eating chocolate. They include receding gums, a cracked tooth, tooth decay progression, or dentin hypersensitivity. Any one of them can make you feel bitter with the bittersweet taste of chocolate.

Why Does My Teeth Hurt When I Eat Chocolate?

Chocolates bring water to the mouth. But it can bring something else too: pain in your teeth.

Pain while eating chocolates is not common. This might be an early announcement of gum disease or sensitivity.

Chocolate supports bacterial growth, especially streptococcus. It can cause tooth decay that may invite cavities or other dental issues. So, if you feel pain when eating chocolate in your tooth, see your dentist.

Treatment in time is important as severe stages of gum disease can cause serious issues. However, you can reverse and prevent gum disease if caught and treated early.

Reasons that your teeth hurt when you eat chocolate include:

Gum recession

Gum recession occurs when your gum recedes or pulls away from your teeth. With gum recession, you have a tooth with an exposed root face. Remember, plaque or bacteria is there on that root face.

When you are savoring the chocolate, these bacteria join you in the feast. After a very short while, they discharge lactic acid, their waste product.

Your root surface does not have any hard enamel covering. So, this discharged acid irritates the nerve endings in the exposed root face. As a result, you have a toothache. Solution:- Go to the bathroom and brush the tooth and the pain will go away immediately.

Tooth Decay or Cavity

Why does my teeth hurt when I eat chocolate every time? The reason can be tooth decay or cavities.

When you eat chocolate, the bacteria also feed on that. While feasting, the bacteria turn them into acids. Then, together with saliva and acids, the bacteria develop plaque on the tooth and under the gums.

The acids in plaque demineralize the enamel of your tooth. After the enamel erosion, the acid content plaque can affect your inner layer, dentine. As a result, tooth decay and cavity.

Cavities start with a little hole in the tooth. If you do not treat them with filling, the hole becomes larger and deeper. While eating chocolate, the debris can enter the cavity and cause crucial sudden pain.

Dentine hypersensitivity

Dentine hypersensitivity occurs with a short, sharp pain that emerges from exposed dentine. Result: an exaggerated response to stimuli.

Enamel, the outer covering of each tooth, protects the dentin. Cementum, another protector, protects the tooth root under the gum line. Many issues can cause damage to this protective layer.

You may develop it as a result of pulp inflammation or distortion of the baroreceptors. These sensory receptors live at the base of your dentinal canal.

In addition, your saliva contains minerals that lower the ph level of your mouth. It helps to restore the minerals of tooth enamel. When you eat too much chocolate, sugary or acidic food, it removes minerals from tooth enamel. As a result, your teeth become vulnerable and sensitive to stimuli.

Why does my teeth hurt when I eat chocolate?

When I eat chocolate or any sugary food, the exposed nerve ending of the tooth responds to stimuli. This response sends a direct message to my brain: pain in your tooth. There are some home remedies for killing exposed nerves in tooth such as milk, vanilla extract, etc.

But, note that all exposed dentine is not sensitive.

Cracked Tooth

A cracked tooth can be a reason that you feel pain when you eat chocolates.

Chocolate has a high molecular weight. So, it draws fluid out of the nerve of the tooth through the dentinal tubules. When the nerves suction the tubes of a cracked tooth, this causes more pain in the tooth.

Should I Break Up with Chocolate?

Now I know the reasons why does my teeth hurt when I eat chocolate. The question is: should I stop eating chocolate now? The simple answer is: No.

When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. However, moderation is the key to healthy teeth.

Sugar and cocoa butter are the two main ingredients in chocolate. Cocoa butter contains antioxidants. They prevent the growth of certain futile bacteria that can damage your teeth. On the other hand, sugar increases the production of acid, which causes the enamel of your teeth to decay.

Chocolate is good for your health, especially dark chocolate. However, the chocolate available in the market is loaded with sugar to make it taste better. So, check your consumption of chocolate.

Prevention

If you are feeling pain when eating chocolate, you should take it seriously. This is not a common cause. It can be due to hypersensitivity, cavity, or gum disease. So, without delay, see a dentist.

However, you can follow the tips to keep your teeth healthy and manage pain when eating chocolate:

Day with the Dentist

No matter how concerned you are about why does my teeth hurt when I eat chocolate, only a dentist can give you good guidance. Pain while eating chocolate can arise from many issues. With a proper examination, the dentist can find the real reason. If your problem is detected soon, you can avoid many painful parts of your tooth tale.

See a dentist if your symptoms include the following:

If your symptoms match any of these, do not wait and make an appointment with your dentist. The sooner you will start your treatment, the sooner you can have relief from your pain.

Treatment

You can feel pain in your mouth for multiple reasons when you eat chocolate. Depending on your reason and severity, your treatment will vary.

If you have receding gums, the dentist may suggest scaling and deep cleaning. He or she can also treat you by applying antibiotics. If the case is crucial, your dentist may recommend a surgical solution – grafting to you.

If you have a sensitivity or minor loss of enamel, use special toothpaste for sensitive teeth. These kinds of toothpaste help coating the dentin tubules.

If the enamel of your teeth is severely decayed, you need dental bonding. In this treatment, the dentist will put a tooth-colored resin material on your tooth.

If you have tooth decay or cavities, instead of braces filling is your only option. If your cavity is severe, the dentist may suggest a root canal.

If you have gingivitis, deep cleaning and scaling are helpful. Here, the dentist will scrape the plaque from your teeth.

FAQ

Why do my teeth hurt when I drink cold food or drink?

Cold foods and drinks can trigger a sudden sharp pain in your teeth. It can be due to gum recession, cavity, or sensitivity.

The protective layer or minerals of tooth enamel may wear down over time. It later exposes the soft inner part of your tooth, dentin. This is the place where the nerves live. When you eat cold food or drink, it provokes the exposed nerves that cause sudden sharp pain in your teeth.

How can you rebuild enamel?

Why does my teeth hurt when I eat chocolate? One reason is the decaying of tooth enamel.

Once your tooth enamel is damaged, you cannot bring it back. However, you can restore the weakened enamel by improving its mineral content to some extent.

Brush your teeth twice and floss at least once a day. Use mouthwash that does not contain alcohol. Rinse your mouth after each meal and visit an eerie dentist for six months. By maintaining your oral hygiene routine you can ensure the health of your tooth enamel.

Does a sensitive tooth mean a root canal?

Many people may feel sensation when they eat chocolate. You may feel pain or throbbing. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need a root canal.

For those who need a root canal, their sensitivity remains with or without hot or cold food. However, it is always advisable to see a dentist when you feel pain in your teeth.

Final Thoughts with Chocolates

Why does my teeth hurt when I eat chocolate?

The sudden stabbing pain is really annoying while eating chocolate. It can occur due to many dental issues, especially gum recession, enamel erosion, dentin exposure, and sensitivity. Chocolate can cause all of them.

So, will you stop eating chocolate? No, just limit your consumption and maintain your oral hygiene.

Most importantly, see a dentist as soon as possible if you feel pain in your teeth.

Remember with healthy teeth, you can have a happy smile with a healthy life.