10 Bad Habits That Are Ruining Your Teeth

29 Dec 10 Bad Habits That Are Ruining Your Teeth

With the New Year approaching it’s time to plan for those 2015 resolutions; most people pick resolutions to lose weight and find better employment, but most people don’t think of their teeth. Did you know that you could be wrecking your teeth with everyday habits you may have?  Most people are, and don’t even realize that they are doing so.  So in 2015 everyone should have a resolution to keep better care of their teeth.  Looking for a way how?  Well, here are 10 bad habits that you need to ditch in the upcoming year that are ruining your teeth:

1. Don’t Brush Your Teeth Too Hard – Even though brushing every day is an excellent habit to have, but if you brush too hard, you can cause much more harm than good. If your brush has hard bristles, or you are just putting too much force behind brushing, you could be wearing down the enamel on your teeth; on top of irritating your gums, causing cavities, and making your teeth more sensitive.  Solution? Purchase a toothbrush that has soft bristles, and don’t put so much muscle behind your toothbrush.
2. Stop Using Your Teeth As Tools – A lot of people use their teeth when they are taking off the tags on items, ripping open bags, or even unscrewing tops; unfortunately this is not what our teeth were designed for, and using your teeth as tools is an excellent way to damage dental work or cause your teeth to crack.
3. Say NO to Soda – This means all types, including diet sodas, since soda is highly acidic. In addition, the problem worsens if you slowly sip soda, as your teeth are able to bathe in the acid for a longer period of time; this will lead to dental health problems due to the corrosion of your teeth from the acidity of soda, which eats away at the enamel of your teeth.
4. Cut Out the Thumb Sucking – Around the age of 5 or 6 permanent teeth start coming in, so children who still suck their thumbs or fingers after these permanent teeth come in can cause permanent changes that will affect the jaw and tooth structure, and can also create a misalignment of the teeth.  This can lead to a number of health problems, such as difficulty breathing and swallowing.
5. Refrain From Jaw Clenching and Tooth Grinding – Stress can trigger some individuals to clench their jaw, or grind their teeth, but this can cause micro-fractures that weaken areas in your teeth which will put them at a greater risk for further damage.  This can also cause actual fractures in your teeth, as well as damage any dental work done.
6. Stop Holding Objects with Your Teeth – Just like clenching and grinding, holding objects between your teeth can damage them.  Most do not realize the amount of pressure they are placing on their teeth, and this can cause teeth to shift or crack; in addition to potentially ruining any dental work done.
7. Lay Off Sucking On Lemons – Even though lemons have an alkaline effect when you eat them, holding and sucking on lemons in your mouth can erode the enamel due to your teeth bathing in the lemon’s acidic juices.
8. Use Caution with Toothpicks – Improper use can seriously hurt your gum tissues, so be cautious to not get too aggressive, and be gentle on your mouth when you go in between the areas of your teeth when cleaning.
9. Stop Eating Ice – Your teeth are not a blender (even some blenders have issues chopping ice), so stop treating them like one. The hardness, plus the cold temperature of ice cubes, can cause serious damage to your teeth.
10. Don’t Be a Nail Bitter – Not only does it cause oral hygiene issues and ruin the appearance of your hands, regularly biting your nails can cause teeth to move out of its place, cause teeth to break, or can even cause tooth enamel to splinter.

Make sure to follow this advice in the New Year; here’s to strong, healthy teeth!

Have a Happy New Year!