Is popcorn healthy?

What is popcorn?
Popcorn is made from corn kernels. It is basically a special kind of kernel that puffs when heated. This kernels have a hard shell ,but are moist and soft inside.

When you
cook this corn kernels on high heat,it creates a pressure inside that will cause a small explosion or "pop" and a you have you have your popcorn.

Not all kinds of corns can be used to make popcorn. The scientific name of the corn that pops is Zea mays everta.

Popcorn is a favorite snack commonly eaten in movie theaters. The snack is usually salted or sweetened. Popcorn can also be cooked with butter and oil. Individuals can also buy and use specialized popping appliances to pop the corn. Some of the appliances also accept a small volume of oil or melted butter to assist thermal transfer of food.

"Experiment with different ways of cooking popcorn to find your favorite popcorn recipe"

Is popcorn healthy?
It is a vegetable and it has some nutritional value, although not as much as many vegetables. Popcorn is a good source of fiber and antioxidants. Furthermore popcorn is low in calories and low in fat which makes it an ideal snack.
 All sounds nice so far, doesn't it? Anyway wait a little before scarfing down a bucket of popcorn.

Nutritional values of popcorn (Air-popped,no additives)
Energy ................................................................1,598kj(382kcal)  
Carbohydrate......................................................78g
Dietary fiber........................................................15g
Fat.......................................................................4g
Protein................................................................12g
Vitamin
       Thiamine........................................................0.2mg
        Riboflavin......................................................0.3mg
Minerals
        Iron...............................................................2.7mg
                                                 (Source: USDA nutrient Database)

Most people do not just eat plain air popped popcorn. Instead,they eat it cooked in oil or butter and other products and then topped off with plenty salt. As a result, most popcorn  eaten is full of fat calories and sodium. All this does not make up for the little nutritional value it has.
Also note that you should not serve popcorn to young children,because it can cause them to choke. Furthermore,you may want to stay off from microwaved popcorn as it is often made with diacetyl,which may be dangerous to your health.

How to remove popcorn kernel stuck in your gum?
You definitely do not want kernels stuck in your gums for any period of time. Popcorn kernels stuck in gum could cause inflammation of the gums which  could cause all sorts of dental problems.
The first thing to try is to brush the area where the kernel is stuck. Use the toothbrush from the gum towards the tooth trying to push the kernel out from under the gum. If this method fails to work,use a toothpick to get it out. Preferably a hard plastic toothpick,because wooden plastic toothpicks could make things worse when they break inside.

You can also use floss. It works especially well if the kernel is stuck in the gum between two teeth. Try to push it up  like you do with a toothbrush, to avoid pushing the kernel further the gum.
If all this methods fails,use the salt water trick. Take a glass of water and put a small quantity of salt in it,then gurgle it around in your mouth where the stuck kernel is located. This seems to work very often.