You may be someone who brushes, flosses, and visits your dentist regularly to keep your smile bright and healthy, but do you know there are other things you might be doing that are causing damage to your teeth. You probably already know that snacking on sugary foods between meals is a bad habit, but some other habits that damage teeth may not be so prominent.
Keep reading to find out what you might be doing in your everyday life that might be putting your oral health at risk.
Brushing Your Teeth and Gums Too Hard
Brushing your teeth is good, but overdoing it is not good. Yes, it’s possible to overdo tooth brushing. You are using a hard-bristled toothbrush, or pressing too hard while brushing can damage your gums and teeth. To avoid this, use a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush your teeth gently in broad strokes.
Biting Your Nails
If you need an added incentive to stop biting your nails, consider the damage you may be doing to your jaw and teeth. According to the ADA, nail-biting can cause jaw dysfunction because it causes you to hold your jaw in a protruded position for long periods. Nail-biting can chip your teeth too. To curb this habit, you can try painting your nails with nail polish.
Clenching or Grinding Your Teeth
Clenching and grinding your teeth is often a subconscious habit, resulting in damaged teeth, muscle pain, and restricted jaw movement. To help prevent this harmful habit, the ADA recommends relaxation exercises, a nighttime mouth guard, and more aware of when the clenching or grinding starts.
Using Tobacco
Whether it’s cigarettes, cigars, or chewing tobacco, the Cleveland Clinic states that all tobacco products are harmful to your teeth and gums. Using tobacco increases your risk of gum disease, bad breath, dry mouth, tooth decay, and oral cancer.
Sipping Soda
Regularly drinking carbonated soft drinks can lead to eroded tooth enamel. Switch to plain water, preferably fluoridated, as well as milk or green or black tea. These can help to strengthen your enamel and protect your teeth from mouth bacteria.
Avoiding The Dentist
Along with these habits that damage teeth, avoiding preventative dental care can also impact your oral health. It’s easy to tell yourself that you’re too busy for a dental checkup or that the twinge of pain you feel whenever you bite down will probably go away by itself, but don’t neglect to visit your dentist regularly.
The next time you’re tempted to put off scheduling a dental appointment, make an effort to place that call.
Take Care of Your Dental Health With The Experts at H. Robert Stender
Oral health is critical and something that cannot be compromised, and you should ensure you remain on top of it. Regular dental care and visits are the keys to preventing any problems from developing and treating things early on.
At H. Robert Stender, we believe the best experience comes with a deep understanding, which is why we take time to fully educate our patients on our approach to optimal dental health. We would instead prevent problems than correct them.
No matter what patients need us to do for a healthy smile and mouth, we do it once, and we do it right. As a reputable dentist in Pasadena, CA, we are pleased to offer state-of-the-art services and dedicated staff to help keep your oral health in the best condition possible.