“Our teeth are magical things, but for all their strengths, they’re mighty fragile. Over the years most of us will develop bad habits when it comes to our teeth.”
Ten Bad Habits For Your Teeth
Written by Dr. Pasha | Prevention Dentistry Insights
Our teeth are magical things, but for all their strengths they’re mighty fragile. Over the years most of us will develop bad habits when it comes to our teeth. Some habits are more dangerous than others, but all can have an impact on our oral health.
1. Brushing Too Hard
There’s nothing better than the minty-smooth feeling of a mouth freshly brushed. The fact that you brush at all is a win, and if you brush gently with a soft toothbrush you’ll be in even better shape. Forceful brushing, satisfying though it may be, doesn’t clean your teeth any better. In fact it can cause damage to your gums and wear to your teeth. Avoid using tartar control toothpastes, too. They’re coarse and can create more wear on the necks of your teeth.
2. Drinking Soda
Carbonated drinks are bad news on every front. Most are highly acidic and packed full of sugar, which doesn’t do your teeth (or your figure) any favours. Our suggestion? Eliminate them altogether, or try thinking of that afternoon Diet Coke as a treat and limit intake to a can a week.
3. Nail Biting
For some of us a quick nibble at the nails is a natural salve in stressful moments. The main drawbacks are chipping and wear on your teeth, not to mention the damage to your nails!
4. Chewing Ice
As satisfying as it is, chewing on ice can be very harmful to your teeth. The ice in your drink is incredibly hard, and biting down on it can cause chipping and fractures when least expected.
5. Thumbsucking
This one’s for our little friends… Young children use thumb sucking as a natural way to relieve anxiety. By around the two-year mark this habit should be phased out. As the teeth develop, children who suck their thumbs can develop severe bite problems. Stopping the behaviour by age three usually sees the problems resolved naturally. If the habit continues, permanent changes requiring braces or a retainer to correct may occur.
6. Don’t Use Your Teeth as Tools
We have scissors, pliers, clippers and bottle openers for very good reasons.
7. Sucking on Lemons
Lemons are almost as acidic as battery acid and cause severe erosion of the teeth, so leave them in your tea, please. Here’s what the acid in lemons can do to your teeth.
8. Bedtime Bottles
Avoid giving milk and juice in bottles before bedtime. Overnight, the sugar from these drinks has plenty of time to settle into the teeth and cause cavities. If giving a bottle at bedtime, consider warm water with nothing added.
9. Lip and Tongue Piercings
Oral piercings, popular in recent years, can cause a number of dental and oral problems. For starters, they cause chipping and fractures of teeth that are in close proximity; accidental biting off or playing with the metal pieces is also harmful. As the metal comes in contact with gum tissues it can cause gum recession, resulting in sensitive and in some cases very compromised teeth. Lastly, these piercings are traps for bacterial growth, with tartar accumulating around tongue rings and lip piercings that aren’t regularly cleaned.
10. Smoking
We all know the health effects of smoking on our bodies. Besides staining and bad breath, smoking (and tobacco use in general) contributes to gum disease and loss of teeth. The sooner you kick the habit, the better.
