You know what to do to keep your mouth, teeth & gums healthy, and you’ve made oral and dental health part of your daily routine. Brush at least twice a day, floss daily and see your dentist Tunbridge Wells for cleanings and dental check ups at least twice a year. The key to keeping your teeth in excellent condition is that you practise proper oral care, so make sure you stay away from habits or practises that can damage your teeth.
Several habits can chip, crack or otherwise harm your teeth, many of which you may not even be conscious of. To keep your smile looking as healthy as possible, read more about the causes of bad teeth and what you can do.
1. Nail Biting
You are not alone if you bite your nails when you are nervous. Up to 30 per cent of Americans compulsively bite their nails and have trouble breaking the practise on their own, the Cleveland Clinic reports. In a couple of ways, biting your nails will affect your mouth. You risk chipping a tooth when you bite down on a nail, because of the toughness of the nail and the force of the bite. Daily nail biting can impact the location of your jaw as well. Chronic biting of the nail may result in problems with the jaw, such as pain or lower jaw protrusion.
What can you do if you have of biting your nails? It depends on how often you bite your nails and how severe this problem is. Some people can train themselves not to bite by wearing nail polish that leaves a bitter taste. You may want to work with a therapist to establish a strategy to break the habit if your nail biting if it is constant or followed by another problem, such as anxiety or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. To help you avoid biting, a psychologist may use behavioral therapy for you or teach you calming techniques.
2. Chewing on Ice
Chewing on an ice cube on a hot summer’s day might seem like an excellent way to cool down. But, is it bad for your teeth to eat ice? Ice is rough, and it can cause cracks in your enamel to cause damage to your teeth due to the impact of chewing on it. It’s safer to turn to another way of cooling off if you like to chew on ice to stay cool. The trick can be done by spraying yourself with a fine mist or drinking cold water. Try to leave your drinks with ice, so you don’t have the urge to chew on the drink after consuming all the liquid. It can also help you stop having ice in your mouth by using a straw.
People with low levels of iron in their blood often develop pica, or a craving for non-food items, such as ice. Speak about it with your doctor or dentist if that describes you. It could be a good idea to get your iron levels tested if you feel an overwhelming urge to chew ice.
3. Using Teeth as Tools
Your teeth are not knives or scissors, and when your hands are full, you can not use them as an extra pair of hands. Chewing and tearing of food are the only things you can use your teeth for. You risk cracking or chipping your teeth if you often use them to rip tags off clothes, open packages, or keep keys or mail as you come into the house. There’s also a chance of damaging your jaw bone due to the force of tearing or pressure on the teeth. If you are the type to hold things in your mouth, you could swallow them also by accident.
Using the right tool for the job is always a smart idea. Reach for a pair of scissors when you have to cut a tag off a shirt or open a box. Using a utensil designed to remove the cap securely if you need to open a bottle. It will help you resist the temptation to break stuff open with your teeth by getting certain instruments handy.
There are a few ways to break this unsanitary habit with respect to holding things in your mouth. One alternative is to get a bigger bag that can carry what you need. You can also wear clothing with pockets so that after opening the door, you can easily tuck your keys away. If you’re with another person, if you need help, you can always ask them to bring things for you.
4. Not Wearing a Mouthguard
Always wear a mouth guard while practising for a sport, whether you are a weekend warrior or an Olympian in training. Athletes who do not wear a mouth-guard are more likely to sustain a dental injury by 60 times. The damage may be a tooth fracture, a knock-out tooth, or a fractured jaw.
In sports that include contact and crashes, such as hockey and football, dental injuries are more common. But in contact-free activities, such as gymnastics, swimming and dance, there is often a chance of injury. For that reason, wearing a mouth guard to safeguard your teeth, gums and jaw during any physical exercise is a good idea.
When it comes to having a mouth-guard, you have alternatives. Some are accessible over the counter and built to be “one size fits all.” Others are a style of boil-and-bite that allows you to shape them after heating them to your mouth. Mouth-guards that provide the best protection are custom-made by your Tunbridge dentist in Kent and suit your mouth. Your teeth would match perfectly with a custom-made mouth-guard, reducing the possibility of injury on the field, pool or dance floor.
5. Getting Oral Piercings
To stand out from the crowd, several individuals pierce their tongues or lips. While piercings may be a legitimate means of self-expression, the risk of getting piercings in or around your mouth is important. For instance, tongue piercings can chip the enamel of the tooth if you unintentionally bite down on them. The presence of this kind of metal or jewelry in your mouth can compromise your teeth, causing cracks or other harm. Your gums will scratch the piercing, causing injury. In certain cases, piercings often carry the risk of infection, which can be serious.
If you like piercings, for the sake of your own dental or oral health, consider getting them on other areas of the body, not in or near the mouth. Think twice before deciding to pierce anything, as getting a piercing will require you to take more care of the area, also keeping it clean to reduce the risk of infection is important. by any chance if you already have a tongue or lip pierced, talk to your doctor or dentist about the best way to care for the piercing to protect your teeth and gums.
6. Grinding Your Teeth
People grind their teeth for a different range of reasons. Some people do it because they have high stress levels. Some do it because their teeth might are misaligned and do not fit together properly. In their sleep, many individuals unconsciously grind their teeth.
Teeth grinding, also referred to as bruxism, places a significant amount of wear on the teeth. Over time, it may erode the enamel and might lead to the teeth fracturing or chipping. Teeth grinding also can cause headaches and pain in the jaw of some patients.
If you think you are grinding your teeth or know that you do, one way to protect your mouth is to have your local dentist fit you for a night-guard to wear while you are sleeping. A cushion between your top and bottom rows of teeth would be created by the night guard, easing the amount of pressure on them.
You might also learn relaxation method to ease tension in your body and make you less likely to grind or clench your teeth. Controlled breathing method, meditating and getting more exercise are things that also you can do to ease stress. Your dentist might also recommend taking a muscle relaxer such as Botox injection as one of the method to help your jaw relax.
7. Eating Sugary Foods
In deciding the overall health of your teeth, gums and mouth, your diet plays a significant role. You can increase the risk of developing tooth decay by consuming foods rich in sugar and starch, such as candy and potato chips. Drinking sugary beverages also increases the risk of cavity growth.
The bacteria living in your mouth and on your teeth consume whatever leftover bits of food or drink residue when you eat or drink sugar or starchy stuff. They produce acids as they eat, that wear away your enamel. Your oral health can influence not just what you eat, but also how often you eat. You give bacteria more chances to develop acids that wear down your enamel if you graze during the day.
In order to protect your teeth from cavities, try to limit the amount of sugary or starchy foods you consume. Often brush to wash away any leftover bits of food after a meal. Rinse your mouth with water and mouth wash if you cannot brush your teeth right away. Limiting eating and drinking to meal times is also a smart idea, so bacteria do not have too many chances to harm your teeth.
8. Chewing on Pencils
For the sake of your teeth and mouth, if you happen to put a pencil or pen in your mouth while you are anxious or deep in thought, it is a good idea to break the habit. Much like chewing on ice, it puts a lot of pressure on your teeth to chew on pencils, which can lead to teeth cracks or chipping. There is also the risk that when you chew on a pencil or pen, you could spread microbes or other germs in your mouth.
Also you might try a few things to break the bad habit of chewing. Instead of chewing a pencil, chew sugar-free gum. Another thing to do is to write a note to yourself, something like “Don’t put your pencil in your mouth” or “Stop chewing!” Place the note near where you normally find yourself chewing, like on your computer screen or at your desk. It will remind you to review and take the pen or pencil out of your mouth any time you see it.
9. Brushing Too Hard
You want to brush teeth for two minutes at a time, at least twice per day. It is possible to get too much of a good thing, though, and some people might brush with excessive force. Brushing your teeth with too much pressure will cause the enamel to wear away and making them more sensitive. It can also cause the gums to recede.
To keep your teeth in the best condition possible, use a gentle, light hand while brushing. Speak to your dentist in Kent if you are not sure if you are using too much force. He will test your mouth and let you know what they believe. They will even teach you the right way to push for the best outcomes.
Another thing to try is switching up the different type of bristles on your toothbrush. Look for a brush with softer bristles, rather than medium or hard, especially if you use a lot of pressure during tooth brushing.
10. Smoking
Another rationale for giving up cigarettes and other tobacco products is that smoking is one of the worst activities for the protection of your teeth and gums. You cause your body to function harder when you smoke to ward off infections, which raises your risk of gum disease. The healing process is also slowed down by smoking, meaning you will take longer to recover from gum disease and other oral health problems. Your teeth even get tainted by smoke, making them look yellow. You can get bad breath from the smoke from cigarettes, too.
If you are ready to quit cigarettes’, many resources are available to you to help you do it. Talk to your dentist in Royal Tunbridge Wells about smoking cessation programs. You can also try using a nicotine gum or patch to manage cravings. It can also be helpful to find a “quit buddy.” You two can support each other on your smoking cessation and help keep each other accountable for your action.
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