6 Common Bad Habits That Could Be Ruining Your Teeth

Your everyday habits play a significant role in your overall oral health. Good hygiene is a crucial step in protecting your teeth, but so is the way you treat your teeth.  

Denis Mustedanagic, DMD, at Me Dental Spa in West Hollywood, California, is all too familiar with everyday habits that patients don’t realize are taking a toll on their teeth. In this month’s blog, he breaks those down. 

1. Chewing hard items 

Avoid chomping on ice in your drink. Although it may feel refreshing, doing so can crack your teeth. Extreme cold (like extreme heat) also raises your risk of developing tooth sensitivity. 

Keep all non-food items out of your mouth. This includes pens, fingernails, bottle caps, and paper. If you have a hard item on your plate, such as a carrot, use the molars in the back of your mouth to break it up. Using your front teeth puts them at risk of chipping or breaking.

Never use your teeth as a tool by biting open a package or twisting off a bottle cap. 

2. Oral piercings

Tongue and lip piercings are not recommended. While they may fit your aesthetic, they can damage your teeth.

A tongue or lip stud knocks against your teeth, damaging and cracking the enamel.  The studs can also rub against your tender gums, creating pain, infection, and erosion that could lead to tooth loss. 

You may still enjoy piercings; just ask our staff how best to place them to preserve your teeth.

3. Sweet indulgences

You don’t have to give up candy or soda, but too much in excess puts you at increased risk for developing cavities. Sugars turn into acid. The acid eats through your tooth enamel, creating channels that allow bacteria to travel into and infect the sensitive pulp of your teeth. 

Foods to limit include the  following:

• Sugared sodas
• Candy and other sweets
• Fruit juice
• Sports drinks
• Sugary bubble gum
• Honey

If you indulge, try to rinse well with water afterward. Eating or drinking sugary foods and letting them sit only bathes your teeth in sugar for longer. Chewy candy and hard candy that you suck for long periods are awful for your teeth.

Chewy candies or lozenges that remain in your mouth or on your teeth for long periods are especially bad for your teeth.

4. Daytime and late-night snacks

Snacking can put your teeth at greater risk of decay, even if you avoid sugar at these mini meals. Starchy snacks like potato chips also turn into acids that erode your teeth. Rinse your mouth and clean between your teeth if you can’t brush.

If you snack just before lying down for bed or get up in the middle of the night for a treat, acids and bacteria have eight hours or more to erode your enamel. Time your meals so you can brush afterwards, and if you do get up at night, make brushing part of your late-night routine. 

5. Overbrushing

You might think it sounds ridiculous, but taking too good care of your teeth can harm your gums. Brushing your teeth too much, too aggressively, or with a tough brush wears down the protective enamel on your teeth and harms your gums.

Use a soft-bristled brush to gently sweep your teeth clean no more than three times a day.

Mouth guard protection

Mouthguards protect your teeth from damage if you play sports where you could get hit in the mouth (think high-speed balls, bats, and racquets). If you don’t wear a mouth guard, you’re at risk for broken and chipped teeth or getting a tooth or teeth completely knocked out.

Even if you’re not an active sports player, you may suffer from the tooth-grinding habit known as bruxism. We can let you know if we see signs of this wear and offer a mouth guard or night guard to protect your teeth.

If you grind your teeth at night and don’t wear a protective night guard, you’ll end up with flat molars, and possibly jaw pain and alignment problems.

6. Not visiting the dentist.

Brushing and flossing your teeth at least two times daily is essential for your oral health. Visiting Me Dental Spa for your twice-yearly cleanings and checkups is just as important.

At our office, you get a thorough, professional cleaning and examination that identifies oral health problems immediately.

To learn more about protecting your teeth or to book your bi-annual checkup, contact ME Dental Spa today.