8 Bad Habits That Harm Your Teeth

Bad Dental Habits

Most people think that they’re taking pretty good care of their teeth. Unfortunately, they simply aren’t aware they have some very bad dental habits. These habits not only damage teeth, but they also stain the enamel and make your teeth susceptible to dental diseases such as gingivitis. Sugar is the number one cause of oral problems. However, it is not the only culprit. There are many other things that people do on a daily basis that lead to teeth damage. Here are 8 things that you may be doing on a daily basis that are tremendously damaging your teeth;

  1. Smoking Cigarettes

Smoking is one of the things that can destroy your teeth very quickly. Tobacco not only stains the teeth, but it makes them fall out by encouraging the development of gum disease. Cigarette smoking is harmful to your general health. It is one of the leading causes of lip, tongue and mouth cancers. You should quit smoking as soon as possible if you want to protect your teeth as well as protect your health and become a healthier person.

  1. Grinding Your Teeth

There are many people who tend to grind their teeth, especially at night. Constant grinding of the teeth wears them down. Most people grind their teeth at night because of stress and bad sleeping habits. If you want to prevent your teeth from grinding, it is wise to look for ways to reduce your stress level as well as change your sleeping habits. If it is too difficult for you to stop grinding your teeth at night, speak to your dentist about being fitted with a night guard. This guard will help you to prevent teeth grinding when you are asleep.

  1. Chewing Ice

You probably don’t see anything wrong with ice chewing. This may be because ice is a natural substance. Unfortunately, chewing ice may be one of the things that you are doing on a daily basis that is drastically damaging and compromising your teeth. Ice cubes can cause damage to your teeth because of their hardness and coldness. They chip and crack the teeth. If you feel like having something that is cold in your mouth, take a glass of cold water. If you have the desire to chew something, try chewing sugarless gum.

  1. Brushing Your Teeth Incorrectly

It is recommended that you should brush your teeth after every meal. However, most people do not know that it is actually bad to brush the teeth immediately after eating. You should wait for at least half an hour before you brush your teeth. This gives the acid produced by the process of digestion time to go away. When brushing your teeth, do it gently. Make sure that you are using a soft bristle brush. Use circular strokes and don’t be too hard on your teeth to avoid eroding the enamel.  Credible dental teams such as the professional team at HSM Dental Group will be glad to give you tips on the best way to safely brush your teeth.

  1. Using Your Teeth as Tools

You should not use your teeth as a tool under any circumstance. You can damage your teeth when you use them to open bags or bottles. Most people are guilty of this bad habit. Use your teeth for the purpose they are intended for if you want to keep them in your mouth for a long time! You risk cracking your teeth every time you try to use them as tools.

  1. Biting Your Nails

Nail biting is bad habit that almost everyone is guilty of at some point throughout their lives. Every time you bite your nails, you introduce dangerous viruses and bacteria in your system. Regular biting of nails can also force your teeth to move from their original alignment. To avoid damaging your teeth because of nail biting, try as much as possible to keep your fingers out of your mouth.

  1. Snacking on Starchy Foods

When you snack, you produce less saliva than the saliva that you produce when taking a full meal. This makes food residue stay in the mouth for longer. The buildup of residue in your mouth encourages the growth of bacteria. Minimize your intake of junk-food snacks to protect your teeth as well as to improve your overall physical health.

  1. Drinking Soda

Soda is harmful to your teeth because it is high in both sugar and acid. Even though diet soda doesn’t have sugar in it, it is still harmful to the teeth because it is acidic. Daily consumption of soda exposes your teeth to acid. The sugar in soda provides bacteria with an environment to thrive. Drink water instead of soda to protect your teeth.

Our teeth are important in so many different ways! Don’t carelessly cause damage to your teeth with habits that you can avoid! Call the dental team at HSM Dental Group at (561) 232-2070 and let them help you set up a plan to keep your teeth healthy and beautiful!