There are a variety of things that are bad for your teeth, but did you know that many everyday habits are bad for your oral health as well? Unfortunately, many of the things we do habitually are bad for us and bad for our teeth, but there is no need to get discouraged because there are many ways to kick these unhealthy habits.
Some of the most common bad habits that have an adverse effect on your oral health and tips on how to reverse them are:
– Nail Biting: is negative for many reasons, but in regard to your oral health, it is especially bad because it can cause your front teeth to chip, fragment and break, and can even cause jaw dysfunction if the habit is serious. Some tips to quit the nail-biting habit include applying bitter-tasting polish to nails, keeping nails trimmed short, identifying your triggers and replacing the habit with another one like squeezing a stress ball.
– Brushing Too Hard: can damage teeth and irritate gums. Brushing for two minutes twice daily should suffice if you find that your brushing technique is too vigorous for the tissues in your mouth to hard. Consider buying a soft-bristled toothbrush and keep in the word “massage” rather than “scrub in mind. This can be a particular problem for individuals with OCD.
– Bruxism: or the habit of grinding and clenching teeth can be particularly dangerous because the majority of people that have this habit are not even aware that they do it. This is because they do it unconsciously when stressed or anxious, or because they do it in their sleep. Solutions for this can vary, but among them are mouth guards, managing stress and jaw massages.
Chewing Ice Cubes: is bad for your teeth, because the pushing of the hard surfaces of your teeth up against the hard-crystalline surface of ice may cause your teeth to chip or fragment and may even damage fillings and tooth enamel.
As you can see, there are many unhealthy habits that can damage your teeth. The key is to get whatever habit you struggle with under control before you seriously damage your teeth and need an expensive procedure to repair the damage. If you are having trouble quitting an unhealthy habit and worry that you may have experienced tooth damage because of it, call us today at 203-634-8727 to schedule an appointment for an oral assessment with our dentist, Dr. Sheila Poetti. Our capable team here at Cloverleaf Dental Center in Meriden, Connecticut, is available to help you with all your oral health care needs.