Thirteen All Too Common Habits That May Cause Tooth Diseases
1.) Biting your fingernails:
People often chew their nails when they are nervous or distracted, but this can have serious implications for your dental health. Every time you put your fingers in your mouth, the bacteria living on your skin can then move straight to your gums, leading to troublesome infections. If you find it difficult to stop biting your nails, try to find other ways to cope with stress (for example, you may find that a more consistent exercise routine or a new hobby helps you to break this habit).
2.) Poor brushing technique:
The way in which you brush your teeth can have a huge impact on your dental health. If you way to avoid damaging your teeth and effectively protect them from decay, you need to keep a few different things in mind. Firstly, experts recommended that you buy toothbrushes with soft bristles, as hard bristles can erode your tooth enamel. Secondly, you should brush your teeth slowly, using gentle but firm circular motions.
3.) Habitual wine drinking:
If you enjoy drinking wine with your dinner or when you are having drinks with friends, it is extremely important to brush your teeth as soon as you can. All wines contain acid that can cause tooth decay, and red wines can slowly turn your teeth gray.
4.) Bruxism:
Bruxism (or grinding your teeth) is generally involuntarily, and many people grind their teeth in their sleep without even realizing that this is happening. If you find out that you do grind your teeth at night, it is important to do something to reduce the damage that this unconscious habit can inflict on your teeth and gums. Your dentist can take an impression of your mouth and use this to create a custom-made mouth guard that will protect your teeth while you are sleeping. In addition, it is worth considering hypnotherapy for bruxism, as some people find that this process can help them to break the habit of clenching their jaw and grinding their teeth.
5.) Smoking:
In addition to increasing your risk of lung cancer and other potentially fatal diseases, being a smoker means damaging your teeth and gums. If you are a smoker, you are more likely to develop gum disease, suffer from some form of oral cancer, and lose teeth. In addition, smoking yellows your teeth and makes your smile look less attractive.
6.) Failing to protect your teeth during contact sports:
If you enjoy playing rugby or football, or if you regularly go to a boxing club, it is important to protect your teeth from the type of damage that such contact sports can involve. The best way to reduce your risk of suffering a cracked or lost tooth is to buy a mouth guard from a sports store.
7.) Using your teeth to open packaging:
When you are impatient to open a package, it can seem like a good idea to use your teeth to rip the packaging. However, this can lead to chipped or cracked teeth, so make a habit of looking for scissors or another sharp object instead of using your teeth in this way.
8.) Crunching ice:
It is perfectly healthy to add ice to your drinks in order to keep them chilled, but you need to avoid the temptation to chew on ice cubes if you want to preserve your dental health. Crunching ice can cause your teeth to crack, irritate the tissue inside your teeth, and promote problems with your jaw joint (such as temporomandibular joint dysfunction, which can be very painful).
9.) Excessive caffeine consumption:
Drinking too much coffee and tea can end up damaging your teeth for a couple of reasons. Most importantly, coffee is acidic, and regular exposure to acid eventually leads to tooth decay. Secondly, both coffee and tea can make your teeth take on a yellow coloring that can only be fixed by way of expensive whitening procedures.
10.) Eating too many sugary foods:
Foods that are high in sugar can cause cavities. While it is acceptable to eat sugary foods from time to time, it is important to brush your teeth soon after eating so as to reduce your risk of decay. In addition, remember that some foods contain more sugar than you might expect. For example, fruit juices often contain added sugars to improve the taste, so check the labels of your commonly consumed foods and drinks to make sure that they are safe for your teeth.
11.) Eating chewy candy:
Chewy candy can end up lodged between your teeth, where it often sits until it begins to lead to tooth decay. In order to avoid this, make sure that you carefully floss between your teeth after you have eaten some gummy candy.
12.) Drinking too much soda:
You should try to drink no more than a single glass of soda per day, as all sodas can have a negative influence on your dental health. You probably know that sugary sodas promote cavities, but diet sodas can damage the surface of your teeth due to the acidic sweeteners that they contain.
13.) Chewing on pens and pencils:
Finally, when you are writing in a journal or taking notes, you may be tempted to nibble on the end of your pen or pencil while you are thinking, but you need to curb this urge. This common habit can cause chipped teeth, so make a conscious effort to avoid chewing on the end of your writing implements.