To bite or not to bite?

Biting and chewing food are what teeth are made for, but not for chewing on ice.  Many people have the habit of chewing on ice.  Chewing on  the ice will cause rapid contraction of the fillings in your mouth followed by a rapid expansion as the mouth warms back up to body temperature. This causes bacteria in the mouth to enter into the tooth because the fillings are now leaking and will fail.  Chewing on ice will also cause microfractures in the tooth's enamel and weaken the tooth.  This causes chipping and fractures. To fix a tooth when this happens will require a new filling or crown and possibly even a root canal. If the tooth fractures down the root, it would need to come out and be replaced with an implant or bridge - all expensive options.  Save some money - don't chew on ice!