- Chewing on ice
This may seem harmless but this unconscious action can cause permanent damage to our teeth with small cracks. These cracks can grow over time, which may lead to fracture. To resist the urge, drink chilled water.
- Playing sports without mouth guard
When playing high-impact or contact sports, the need to wear something to protect the teeth is essential since the teeth are vulnerable to being knocked out or damaged. To prevent damage, wearing sports mouth guard helps cushion hard blows to the teeth and jaw.
- Tongue Piercing
It seems so cool to have your tongue pierced. However, it can create havoc to your oral health. Tongue piercing causes teeth to chip or break. It rubs against the gum and causes permanent gum recession, leading to sensitivity and tooth loss. Wearing mouth jewelry promotes bacteria build-up in the mouth, resulting to unhealthy oral health.
- Opening stuff using your teeth
Teeth are meant for eating, smiling and speaking. Avoid utilizing your teeth in opening a bag of junk food, bobby pins, and even soda bottle caps for this habit causes teeth to chip or fracture.
- Biting a pencil
Unconsciously, we bite on objects when we think or concentrate on something. Doing this bad habit puts pressure on teeth causing it to chip or fracture. To cease the habit, chewing on sugar-free gum can prevent damage as it stimulates saliva production and helps cleanse the teeth.
- Grinding teeth
Grinding teeth affects an estimated 30 to 40 million people in the U.S. This happens when you are sleeping at night. This habit can be an inherited trait from a parent and it is often linked to stress. It puts pressure on teeth, jaw muscles and jaw joint and can cause pain. To prevent damage on your teeth, wearing a custom-made mouth guard at night reduces pressure on teeth and other surrounding structures. Relaxation techniques and biofeedback are other methods that might help in warding off the habit.
- Taking cough drops
Despite its medicinal purpose, cough drops contains high sugar content. Sucking on cough drops all day to relieve cough can damage your teeth as it bathes in sugar. Dental plaque develops, creating a higher chance of tooth decay and gum disease. Opt for sugar-free cough drops.
- Drinking soda
Frequent soda consumption bathes your teeth in sugar and can lead to tooth decay. This also erodes tooth enamel, leading to teeth sensitivity. To reduce the risk of tooth decay and teeth sensitivity, lessen your soda intake and opt for water. Avoid enamel erosion by rinsing your teeth after having exposed to acidic beverages. When drinking soda, sip through the straw to prevent contact with the teeth. After your teeth were exposed to acidity, wait for at least 30 minutes before you brush your teeth to avoid further breakdown and wear of your enamel.
- Constant snacking
Constant munching throughout the day allows food debris and plaque sit on your teeth for a prolonged period. Instead of consuming sweet food, switch to apples, carrots and celery to minimize plaque formation.
- Binge eating
When you do binge eating, you are taking large amounts of sugary foods and drinks that may lead to dental decay. Binge eating may also occur with another eating disorder known as bulimia where the food is purged with vomiting. Since vomit is highly acidic, it can erode and damage teeth over time. Consult your doctor to address your condition.
- Smoking
Cigarette and tobacco dry out the mouth and increase the amount of plaque build-up around our teeth. Smokers lose their teeth due to gum disease. Smoking can cause oral cancer. Break this bad habit by seeking medical intervention.
- Drinking coffee
Most of us start their day by drinking a cup of hot coffee. However, caffeine can affect saliva flow, causing dry mouth and tooth decay. Adding sugar to your coffee makes you prone to tooth decay even more. To counteract the effect of dry mouth from caffeine, drink water frequently.
