We’re all prone to doing bad habits every once in a while. Even though we might think of these habits as nothing more than harmless mistakes, they can actually cause more trouble than you think. Procrastinating can lead to bad grades and work performance reports, oversleeping can lead to headaches, and smoking can lead to poor oral health. Here are some harmful habits you should avoid if you want to avoid making unnecessary trips to the dentist.
Using Your Teeth As A “Tool”
Every time you bite open chip bags or cut thread with your teeth, you risk causing serious damage to tooth enamel and increasing your chances of getting painful cavities. Even if you don’t do these things every day, accumulated damage can still take its toll on your teeth. If you need scissors, try borrowing some from a friend instead of using your teeth as a last resort.
Grinding Your Teeth
Teeth grinding, also known as Bruxism, is a habit we often do to alleviate stress and anxiety. Many people also often grind their teeth while sleeping or simply daydreaming. Excessive teeth grinding can damage the enamel of teeth and lead to problems like chipped or cracked teeth, as well as increased tooth sensitivity. You can use a mouthguard while sleeping to lessen any damage done due to this habit, as well as practice alternative relaxation habits like deep breathing and listening to music.
Chewing Ice
Chewing ice is a fun and mindless habit that can cause serious damage to your teeth over time. Every time you crunch ice after a snack or meal, your teeth lose their durability and become more and more damaged. Not only does this cause painful cavities, but it can even lead to chipped, cracked, and lost teeth. The next time you go out to eat, try sticking to bottled drinks or ordering beverages without ice.
Nail Biting
Biting your nails poses a serious risk to your overall health. You can end up ingesting nasty dirt and germs that have gathered under your nails, as well as grime and bacteria on your fingers. This habit can also increase your risk of cavities and other serious maladies by eroding enamel and damaging the surface of teeth. Since nail biting often exerts pressure on your jaw and teeth, it can also cause some of your teeth to become crooked. To stop biting your nails, try practicing alternative coping mechanisms, keeping your hands busy with hobbies like drawing and stitching, and using bitter nail polish. You can also try cutting your nails very short in order to resist this habit.
Smoking
Tobacco products will always cause serious damage to your health. Smoking has been known to cause a wide variety of dental problems, such as halitosis, cavities, periodontitis, and tooth decay. It can increase your chances of not only losing teeth, but even contracting lung and oral cancer. There’s simply no compromise to be made when smoking. If you’re serious about breaking this habit, it’s best to join support groups and consult health professionals as soon as you can.
Doing Sports Without A Mouthguard
There’s a good reason why professional athletes are required to wear mouthguards every time they compete. Wearing a mouthguard protects your teeth and gums from serious damage due to stress and trauma. Without one, you can end up with bloody gums and lost teeth. The next time you decide to train or join a competition, do buy a good mouthguard from your local sports store or even having one custom-made. Most mouthguards will allow you to breathe and speak normally, so you don’t have to worry too much about comfort.
Eating Too Many Sweets And Snacks
Eating too many sugary snacks and drinks every day can lead to a myriad of health problems. The more sugar you ingest every day, the higher your chances are of developing harmful cavities. Not only do sugary snacks erode enamel, but they can also cause germs and bacteria to gather all over your teeth and gum line. With enough time, these nasties can cause gingivitis, tooth decay, and other serious dental problems. You can improve your dietary habits by snacking on sugar-free food and resisting the urge to buy junk food at the grocery.
Lazy Brushing And Flossing
We often forget to brush or floss as much as we need when we feel stressed or tired. Even though plopping down on bed after work or school can provide us with some much needed rest, it can also cause us to neglect our dental health. The more you forget to brush and floss every day, the more likely you are to suffer from preventable dental health problems like swollen gums and painful cavities. Remember: it’s much easier to brush your teeth for two minutes every day than it is to sit on a dental chair for several hours.
Using The Wrong Tools
We’ve been both blessed and cursed with a wide variety of useful dental products. When looking for a good set of dental hygiene tools, it’s best to avoid products made with ingredients that are too abrasive for your teeth and gums. Toothbrushes with hard bristles, abrasive toothpastes, and other harmful products will only grind away at your enamel and gums, thus increasing your chances of developing painful dental health problems. You should also avoid using toothbrushes that are way too old and worn to use as they can end up gathering harmful germs and bacteria.
Dental scalers are a great tool that you can use to keep your teeth in top shape. Our high-quality dental scaler is specially designed to scrape away stubborn dirt, bacteria, stains, and plaque from places where your toothbrush can’t reach. Order your own dental scaler from our online store and enjoy cleaner, healthier teeth today!