You are probably practicing good oral care and maintaining your regular visits to the dental office, but there are many weird habits that you might do without even being aware of that could be compromising your dental health.
Some of the bad habits like aggressive brushing, nail biting, clenching your teeth, using teeth as tools, continuous snacking, biting on pen/pencil, chewing ice, heavy drinking, using tobacco, thoughtless chewing, skipping to brush can harm your teeth.
Cold temperature and brittleness of ice could actually cause microscopic fractures, might crack or chip your teeth if you have a habit of crunching on ice after or while drinking, crushed ice is a bit better than large ice cubes. Consuming loads of acidic and sugary drinks can cause tooth decay and erosion over time, heavy consumption of alcohol can reduce saliva flow and dries your mouth making you prone to plaque buildup and cavities.
Excessive nail biting or chewing on pencil can harm your teeth and gums; it is a compulsive habit and is often repeated by most of us unknowingly. Brushing too hard can wear away tooth surface, might irritate gums and can cause sensitivity of teeth. Many people have the habit of grinding or clenching their teeth when under pressure or stress, it can also cause tooth wear, jaw pain and soreness in mouth.
If you rely on your teeth to do a number of odd jobs like tearing a price tag off your new dress, opening a bag of chips, uncap a bottle, crush open a walnut. Turning your teeth into built in tools can easily make them crack or chip off.
Not maintaining proper oral care like regularly brushing twice a day, using floss once in a day, forgetting to change your toothbrush or electric brush head after three to four months is also one of the common habits that can cause poor oral health.
These weird habits alone or in combination could cause fracture and chipping of teeth, tooth decay, acidic erosion, abrasion, missing teeth, mouth sores, gum diseases, tooth sensitivity, toothache, dry mouth and bad breath.
So do remember to maintain your regular visits twice a year at one of our smile dental group’s clinics/hospitals for a healthier smile.