7 Habits Damaging Your Teeth and How to Protect
Do you know that certain everyday habits can damage the health of your teeth? And the worst part is many of us are not even aware of it. Knowing what they are can save you money on expensive dental visits.
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), the following habits can cause broken or chipped teeth.
1. Biting your nails
This nervous habit can result in chipping of teeth and impact the jaw. Placing the jaw for long periods of time in a prominent position can put pressure on it, which is associated with possible dysfunction.
What should you do?
Bitter-tasting nail polishes, stress reduction, and setting small, realistic goals can help. If certain situations are triggers, try holding something to keep your fingers busy.
2. Very strong brushing
Brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day is one of the best habits you can have. Just make sure you’re not doing it too hard. Brushing with a hard toothbrush or brushing too much can damage the teeth and irritate the gums.
Solution:
Use a soft toothbrush. Don’t think about scrubbing and instead think about massaging using the brush. Put away the hard toothbrush to clean the bathroom tiles.
3. Grinding your teeth
This can cause chipping or cracking of the teeth, as well as muscle tenderness or joint pain. You may also feel that you can’t open your mouth or chew with pain. Relaxation exercises and a mouth guard may help. You will have less tooth damage, less pain and muscle soreness and better sleep.
4. Chewing on ice cubes
Chewing ice cubes can cause wear on the tooth surfaces and enamel covering the tooth. If your teeth are worn or chipped, ice can break and damage the tooth structure.
5. Refreshments
The habit of snacking between meals, especially sugary foods and drinks, puts you at higher risk for cavities. When you eat, the decay-causing bacteria feed on food debris, producing an acid that attacks the outer layer of your teeth.
6. Diet
Pay attention to your diet. If you need a snack, make sure it’s low in fat and sugar. If you eat any sweet candy, then drink a large glass of water to wash away the leftover food.
7. Using teeth as tools
Your teeths are made for chewing and breaking certain food items but certainly not for opening bottle caps or plastic containers. When you do this, you put yourself at greater risk of breaking your teeth, injuring your jaw or accidentally swallowing something you shouldn’t have.
Always keep scissors and bottle opener handy. Your teeth will thank you because they should only be used for eating.
