As humans, we are regularly developing habits, whether good or bad. Unfortunately, bad habits are quite common, and a lot of them are formed unintentionally. Many times, we develop habits that aren't good for us without even being aware of it, and often these habits can cause problems, pain, and cost a lot of money to correct.
Being proactive is the best approach if you want to keep your teeth for your lifetime, so make it your mission to practice excellent oral hygiene, have routine dental visits, and create good oral habits. Here are eight habits to avoid if you want a healthier smile.
1. Biting Your Nails
If you are always biting your nails, your oral health will pay the price. Not only are you spreading harmful bacteria that hang out under your nails, biting non-edible items like fingernails can crack, fracture, or chip your teeth, and even hurt your jaw over time.
Instead: Apply some bitter-tasting nail polishes and work on lowering your stress levels. Awareness and calming your anxiety can keep your nails (and teeth) looking their best!
2. Brushing Too Hard
Scouring your chompers with harsh strokes can leave them hurting instead of clean and healthy. Rough handling can wear down tooth enamel and irritate the gums, which can ultimately cause receding the gums, exposing the layer of dentin below.
Instead: Brush at least twice a day for two minutes with a soft-bristled toothbrush and massage the teeth gently. It will clean the teeth surfaces without damaging them in the process.
3. Clenching and Grinding
If you are constantly clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth (awake or asleep), it can damage your teeth and jaw. This habit is called bruxism, and it often arises from unrelieved stress. It wears down enamel leaving teeth and makes them vulnerable to decay. You may also find yourself with painful jaw or joint pain, or even fractured or chipped teeth.
Instead: Practice relaxation techniques to relieve jaw stress and wear a custom night guard while you sleep.
4. Chronic Snacking
Whether you continually snack or sip sweetened beverages throughout the day, both can hurt your teeth. And it's not just coating your teeth in sugar that can lead to cavities. Snacking on chips and carbohydrate-filled goodies feed your mouth's harmful oral bacteria, resulting in plaque buildup and tartar that can harm your gums.
Instead: Quench your thirst and protect your teeth with water. Hydrating with water will also prevent dry mouth by giving your saliva the solution it needs to clear out oral debris and bacteria during the day.
5. Heavy Drinking
Regularly alcohol consumption increases plaque levels in your mouth that ultimately leads to tooth loss. Since alcohol acts as a diuretic, it can reduce saliva flow (which can result in dry mouth).
Instead: Limit your alcohol intake and drink plenty of water in between to hydrate.
6. Ice Chewing
Chomping on ice cubes might feel good on a hot day, but your teeth are not designed for it. This habit can lead to cracks and chips in your teeth. Both your teeth and ice are crystals, so the effect of rubbing them together can cause tooth damage, even potentially damaging dental fillings.
Instead: Consume your beverages through a straw to keep you from accidentally munching on ice. Be sure not to chew on the straw! Also, try chilling your drinks in the refrigerator beforehand.
7. Kick the Tobacco Habit
A tobacco habit not only stains your teeth but inflames your salivary glands so they can't perform correctly. As if that wasn't bad enough, smoking leads to bad breath, gum disease, increased loss of jaw bone density, and oral cancer.
Instead: Find a smoking cessation support program that works for you. Your lungs, teeth and gums will thank you!
8. Teeth Are For Chewing
Your teeth are not tools! Do not use them to tear off tags, open a bag of chips or hold your pen.
Instead: Stick to biting and chewing your food with your teeth, and use the correct tools to handle everything else.
When it comes to your habits, we encourage you to take extra care of your smile so it will take good care of you! You will reap the benefits of healthier teeth, longer-lasting dental work and a more beautiful smile!
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This blog is designed to provide general information and discussions about health and dental-related subjects. No doctor/dentist to patient relationship is established by your use of this blog or website. We are not providing any treatment or diagnosis on this blog, and it is not intended to offer specific dental or medical advice to anyone. The information or other content provided in this blog is not a substitute for professional dental expertise or treatment. We will do our best to provide you with information that will help you make your own healthcare decisions, however no guarantees or warranties are made regarding any of the information contained within this blog. If you have questions about any of the information presented on this blog, you should consult with your dentist. The dentists at Advantage Dental+ are licensed to practice in the states of Alabama, Florida, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas and this blog is not intended to solicit patients from other states. External links may be provided on this blog as a service and convenience to our patients and other visitors to our blog. These external sites are created and maintained by other public and private organizations, and we do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance or timeliness of any outside information.
