Are you damaging your teeth without being aware of it? Are your actions and habits affecting the health of your pearly whites? However, some dental problems are out of control, but there are some problems that we can prevent by removing some bad dental habits from our lives. Read on to find out.
- Smoking:It is no surprise that smoking makes it to the top of this list. Cigarettes, and other tobacco products, apart from being harmful to your lungs and being a potential cause of cancer, stain your teeth and weaken your gums. This may lead to a gum disease and may cause your teeth to fall out. So if the various forms of lip, throat, tongue and lung cancer doesn’t motivate you to quit smoking, maybe living with a toothless smile will.
- Bedtime bottles:It’s never too early to start being cautious. Children whose parents give them a bottle to feed on or chew on at night, are at great risks of cavities as the child falls asleep while drinking from the bottle and the sugars present in the milk or formula in the bottle stay put in his mouth all through the night, promoting the growth of bacteria, thereby increasing the risk of cavities.
- Chewing on ice:Considering that it is just water, in the frozen form, and has no sugars, preservatives, and additives, you would be inclined to think that eating ice is harmless. But you cannot be more wrong. Chewing on substances that are as hard as ice might cause chipping or cracking of your teeth. The consumption of excessively hot or excessively cold foods also carries the risk of triggering sharp pains in your teeth. Besides, chewing on ice might also irritate the soft tissue beneath your teeth and cause a lingering toothache. So you see, stop that mindless chomping.
- Nail biting:Nail biting not only harms the long-term health as well as the aesthetic appearance of your hands, it can also harm your teeth as well. Regular nail biting may move your teeth out of place or may cause your teeth to crack or splinter. It also weakens the enamel of your teeth. If you are someone who bites their teeth when you are nervous or do it involuntarily, then putting on bitter nail polish on your nails might help you quit.
- Lip/Tongue piercing:Oh, of course, it looks sexy. But tongue piercing can actually prove to be unhealthy for your teeth as biting down on the metal can lead to the cracking of a tooth. The same goes for a lip piercing. The metal that you insert into the piercing rubs against the gums, which causes gum damage. It can also put you at risk for bleeding and blood loss.
- Playing sports without mouth guards:NEVER get into a game like hockey, football, rugby or baseball without a mouth guard. You would probably not even realize or have the time to duck before the ball or equipment hits your jaw and knocks your teeth off, or at least chips them. Get them custom made or buy some from your sportswear store, but don’t forget to wear them.
- Eating gummy candy:All sugary treats are open invitations to tooth decay, but gummy candies are the worst as they are the most acidic. They have an unusually high content of sugar, and they tend to stick and stay there for hours. This causes an accelerated production of acids in your mouth, again leading to cavities and decay. However, if you just have to have some gummy candy during the day, eat them with a snack.
- Constant Snacking:Snacking leads to a lesser production of saliva. This makes the food particles linger in your mouth for longer durations due to the absence of a natural cleansing mechanism, i.e. saliva. And since we know you are not going to brush your teeth after every snack, your teeth will be at higher risk of decay and cavities. We suggest snacking less frequently and gorging on foods with low starch and sugar content.
- Opening stuff with your teeth:Removing the plastic coverings or opening bottle caps with your teeth may be easy and convenient, but it is a habit that may prove to be counterproductive in the long run. You are better off using scissors or bottle openers instead, as using your teeth may cause them to chip or crack. There is a chance to fracture your teeth as well and it may also damage a crown or filling if you are using a back tooth. Use your teeth only for eating, we have tools for other stuff – use them.
- Chewing on Pens and Pencils:Just like chewing on ice, the habit of chewing on the ends of pens and pencils while concentrating hard or probably just unintentionally is bad for the health of your teeth. This habit also can cause the chipping or cracking of teeth. You could also be irritating your chewing muscles and joints too in addition to causing stress fractures on your teeth. Opt for sugarless candy to chew on instead.
All these habits are tough to break, but your mouth will love you for that.