With the daily hustle and bustle we don’t pay much attention to the things we do. There are certain habits that without realizing it can be damaging your teeth without you knowing.
My job as a dentist is to help you keep your mouth healthy (not only your teeth), therefore I have decided to create this post, with the intention that you pay a little more attention to those details that make the difference.
Here’s a short list of 15 common stuff you might do every day that can harm your teeth:
1. Chewing Ice
It can chip away at fragile tooth enamel. Try asking for crushed ice if it’s a habit you can’t stop.
2. Eating hot meals with cold beverages
The hot temp expands your tooth enamel canals and the cold temp contracts it. This won’t damage the teeth per se, but you’ll notice some sensitivity with this.
3. Consuming certain beverages
There are drinks that affect way too much your teeth, they erode enamel and this list includes sports drinks, sodas and wine.
4. Loving your gummies and candies
Candies are sticky (especially gummies) they can dislodge fillings and get stuck in and around your teeth.
5. Getting the whitest and brightest smile
Over bleaching and over whitening can damage your teeth, especially when you do it yourself at home. Bleachers can lead to enamel loss and sometimes to permanent tooth sensitivity.
6. Chewing pencils
This can cause stress fractures to your teeth.
7. Opening stuff with your teeth
I know, we all enjoy ripping price tags of clothing with our teeth, even better opening a stubborn bag; but you may even chip your teeth by doing it.
8. Putting your tongue in the wrong place
This one sounds funny, but there’s people out there that avoids proper tongue position. By putting your tongue on your palate (the roof of your mouth), you’ll discover that you don’t clench as much. In fact, if your tongue rests properly it will relax your jaw.
9. Bruxism or teeth grinding
This happens mostly at night; maybe your partner has already told you grind at night. This is something to take care of (I talked about this disorder in a previous post, you can find it here).
10. Consuming too much dried fruit
Why? They’re sticky and full of sugar! Sugar feeds bacteria and they’re not cute puppies.
11. Choosing the wrong toothbrush
It's always been about using a soft brush (stay away from hard ones or a spinning electric one) since a rough brush may cause abrasion and damage your gums.
12. Drinking herbal tea
They stain your teeth, yes. But they can erode enamel too! It’s a fact that tea stains teeth more than coffee; it’s full of tannic acid, an antioxidant that quickly adheres to plaque on our teeth causing a yellow discoloration.
13. Brushing your teeth right after meals
Teeth are weaker after eating, especially if you’ve consumed acidic foods and drinks. Remember that food changes your mouth’s pH, so it takes around of 30-45 minutes for the saliva to re-mineralize and harden the tooth enamel again.
14. VAPING (and smoking)
This popular alternative to cigarettes has incredibly harmful effects on the mouth as nicotine is a vasoconstrictor which, in short, restricts blood flow through the veins, and let’s remembers your gums are full of veins.
15. Ignoring mouth changes
Inflamed gums, blood in the saliva, bad breath or any change in your mouth, are just a few examples of often ignored signs that can predict a serious condition. Never hesitate in going to consultation.
With that list being presented, I must ask you.. How many of these things you do daily?
Of course, by doing it a couple of itmes you won't lose your teeth, but it's something to take care of.
Do not hesitate to ask if you have any doubt.
What do you want me to talk about in the next post?
I'll see you in the next consultation!
None of the images belong to me; they have been located using the Google image search engine, for educational purposes.