As much as many of us care for our teeth through brushing and flossing, most of us resort to bad habits that are
damaging the health of our teeth.
In fact, one may be unaware of how certain drinks, physical activities, and the foods they consume can damage their teeth and gums.
Countless adults 65 and above have lost all their teeth because they do not practic good oral hygiene. That said, it’s important that we educate ourselves not just on the ways to upkeep healthy pearly whites but also avoid harming our pearly whites in the process.
Here are the top 14 easily-preventable bad habits that harm the teeth:
#1 Opening packaging with teeth
This is a common habit for many. It’s important to note that when you open up packaging with your teeth or use your teeth as a tool, you’re increasing your chances of dealing with a cracked or chipped tooth.
Remember that unless you opt for dental implant to replace the damaged tooth or still have baby teeth, your tooth will be chipped for life. Opening a product with scissors or a knife is safer, and your teeth will thank you.
#2 Smoking
Tobacco-containing products such as cigarettes can increase one’s chances of developing gum disease and oral-related cancers.
As well as this, tobacco can stain the teeth permanently. Limiting or quitting smoking or and your use of other tobacco products can greatly help your oral standing.
#3 Nail biting
You can probably already imagine that nail-biting has the potential for cracking, chipping, or wearing down the teeth over time. However, nail biting is also problematic for your jaw, eventually leading to jaw dysfunction considering you’re keeping your jaw at an unnatural angle while biting your nails.
Keeping your nails trimmed short, wearing fake nails, or wearing a bitter-tasting nail polish can help with combating nail biting.
#4 Hard tooth-brushing
A lot of people believe the harder and faster you brush, the better and quicker the task gets done. In reality, it’s more harmful for your teeth as it can irritate the gums and damage both the teeth and tooth enamel.
For this reason, it’s important to resort to less vigorous, two-minute sessions of brushing your pearly whites. Your teeth should not hurt after brushing, but they also shouldn’t still feel gritty or have particles of food between the teeth afterward either. If you still find that you brush too hard and aggressively, try brushing with your non-dominant hand.
#5 Chewing on ice
We get it, chewing on ice is addicting. However, this can damage the enamel of your teeth. Because ice has a crystalline structure and because your tooth enamel does too, this can cause one of the two to break.
Sometimes, it’s your tooth that ends up breaking or chipping, unfortunately. Avoid chewing on ice as much as possible or at least chew on smaller, finer pieces of ice such as shaved ice to reduce the chances of tooth damage.
#6 Consistent snacking
Eating three fuller meals is healthier than consistent snacking throughout the day. Constantly eating increases one’s risk for cavities as this means food particles will essentially always be present in the mouth. These particles can alter the natural pH of the mouth, increasing your risk for cavities.
Try to cut back on the snacking and instead try to provide well-balanced meals for yourself, cutting out the sugary drinks and foods as much as possible.
Remember, bad oral bacteria feeds off of your food leftovers and thrives off of the sugary substances leftover after you eat or drink something sugary.
#7 Thumb sucking
Thumb sucking is fine for young infants who are teething, but this bad habit can damage the alignment of the teeth over time. In this, this may cause an overbite. Especially once the permanent teeth come in, thumb sucking can become permanent without the aid of orthodontic treatment.
Thumb sucking can be prevented at all ages. However, the earlier, the better. Keeping your or your child’s hands busy is one potential solution to becoming more aware of the bad habit.
#8 Eating foods with too much acid (e.g., lemons)
As kids, many of us like placing a slice of orange or lemon in our mouth and smiling with it. If your parents ever responded, “Don’t do that. That will ruin your teeth,” they are correct.
Consuming too many acidic food products and leaving an acidic food product to sit on the teeth can damage the tooth enamel. Damaged tooth enamel, in turn, can lead to the risk of cavities, tooth sensitivity, and other issues.
If you ever consumed a lemon or other acidic food, you may recall having slightly painful teeth for a while. This is just one example of how quickly something acidic can hurt our teeth. Remember not to brush until at least a half hour after consumption to prevent further deterioration. Instead, rinse with water in the meantime.
#9 Jaw clenching and tooth grinding
Jaw clenching and tooth grinding are both habits that risk jaw pain, headaches, a misaligned jaw, and even deterioration of the teeth from wear and tear. These are habits some may not even know they are participating in as they often happen during sleep.
Sometimes, we clench or grind our jaws when stressed, anxious, or angry. However, opting for a mouth guard can ensure your teeth are safer from the damage from tooth grinding and/or jaw clenching. Contact your dentist for more information in combating both or one of these problems.
#10 Using your mouth to hold or bite pencils
Surely, there are many reasons biting or holding our writing utensils in our mouths is unhealthy. Potential chemicals and bacteria/dirt buildup on our pens and pencils are some problems.
Disregarding the latter, the actual act of having our pencils in our mouths alone is damaging. Our teeth can become worn down or even chipped by excessively biting or holding pencils between our teeth. Many partake in this bad habit because of worry or stress, so eliminating those issues may be one way to reduce this habit.
#11 Drinking soda, sports drinks, and alcoholic beverages
Due to the acidic pH and high sugar content of sodas and sports drinks, these beverages leave our teeth prone to enamel deterioration, cavities, tooth sensitivity, and other problems.
Furthermore, alcohol is also acidic and can wreck the enamel of the teeth. Aside from this, alcohol minimizes the production of saliva. Thus, too much alcohol consumption can lead to dry mouth. A dry mouth increases cavity risk and leads to halitosis because the mouth cannot properly wash away smelly, harmful oral bacteria.
#12 Misuse of toothpicks
Toothpicks are truly meant for one purpose and one purpose only: to remove gunk between our teeth. Using toothpicks to remove plaque or tartar from the teeth can ruin the enamel and scratch the teeth.
Shoving toothpicks deep between the cracks of our teeth is another issue, one that can cause the teeth to shift and form gaps if done in excess. Using toothpicks correctly, for removing food debris, is important.
#13 High sugar intake
The more sugar one consumes, the higher amount of oral bacteria one possesses. This may contribute to cavities and other problems in the mouth.
Additionally, sugar feeds bacteria that produce acid inside the mouth. These acids are the ones that erode the enamel of the teeth, making them weaker in the process.
Due to this, it is essential to refrain from or at least limit sugary and sticky foods such as dried fruits, candies, gummies, and the like as these stay longer on the teeth compared to other foods. You may consider fresh fruits instead.
#14 Playing sports without mouthguards
Sports are harmless until someone gets hurt. That’s why sports players usually opt for mouthguards to prevent tooth or jaw damage.
Getting fitted for a custom-fit mouthguard through a dentist keep the teeth protected in case a ball, foot, elbow, or other object hits one’s mouth. This can prevent chipped, dislodged, or loose teeth in addition to other problems.
Custom mouthguards may be pricier than a store-bought one, but they have a better fit, are more secure, and certainly prevent potential dental bills.