An astonishing snow-white smile is rarely a gift of nature, but rather the result of determined effort. But just a few bad habits can negate all your efforts. Don’t let your bad habits sabotage you by getting rid of these teeth-damaging habits.
1. Chewing hard objects
Using your teeth as a tool is one of the most harmful habits. Avoid using your teeth for opening bottles, cracking nutshells, and flattening metal objects. Using your teeth as a tool can have negative consequences. You can damage your tooth enamel and even lose one of your teeth.
2. Smoking
Cigarettes themselves do not promote health and are very harmful to your teeth. First of all, the whiteness of your enamel can suffer, since nicotine and tar can settle on the dental surface and discolor it. If you smoke, your teeth are vulnerable to destruction due to temperature changes. Heavy smoking can cause the development of cavities and small cracks in your teeth. ?ombustion products can lead to mouth and throat cancer.
3. Drinking lots of coffee and tea
Your favorite morning drinks are also harmful to the teeth. They contain caffeine, which can cause dryness in your mouth. Lack of saliva can lead to cavities development, especially if you add sugar to your morning cup of coffee. These drinks can also affect your teeth color. The acids and food dyes can quickly darken your teeth and make them acquire an ugly-looking shade.
4. Eating sweets
Sweets themselves are not so harmful if you eat them infrequently and brush your teeth immediately after. Many sweet tooths neglect this simple rule. Excessive consumption of sweets and lack of oral hygiene can lead to unpleasant consequences for your dental health. It can cause cavities, gum disease, and bad breath.
5. Nibbling pencils and pens
Office workers are at a high risk of developing this bad habit. This method of solving another professional problem is quite common in modern society. But this innocent little action can seriously harm your teeth. Pens and pencils can erase your enamel. At a minimum, this will lead to cavities, which will lead to other problems in the future. This also puts you at risk of crooked front teeth.
6. Loving sour products
These include citrus fruits, legumes, wines, and soft beverages. Their frequent use can contribute to the occurrence of enamel erosion. It can expose your dentin, which can make the teeth vulnerable to dental diseases and damaging bacteria. Dentists can always accurately identify those who like sour products by the distinctive pits or bumps on the surface of the teeth.
7. Wear piercings in your mouth
Metal jewelry can be dangerous. It can simply crack one of your teeth. Constant contact of the dental surface with a metal can lead to enamel damage. This process will eventually affect the cavities’ development. The friction of metal on the gums can lead to tooth loss by causing gum recession. Those who have pierced lips are at risk too: there are lots of bacteria in your mouth, and piercings bring the appearance of ulcers and infections closer.
8. Grinding your teeth
Grinding can damage your teeth, causing a number of diseases. It is difficult to control bruxism, but you can take some measures to eliminate it. Get checked by a neuropsychiatrist, develop a healthier lifestyle, or at least stop eating solid foods during the day. You can use a mouth guard to avoid the unpleasant consequences of bruxism.
The bottom line
Nothing hurts your teeth more than the lack of regular dental care. Brush your teeth twice a day, rinse after eating and visit your dentist for regular checkups at least twice a year.