We all dream of perfect and healthy teeth, but to achieve a dream, you have to spend a lot of effort and money. It turns out that, at the same time, we cause irreparable harm to our teeth through the observance of seemingly harmless habits. Let’s find out which habits are harming our oral health.
Harmful Habits
Here is the list of some harmful habits for oral health.
1. Chewing Ice
Natural ice does not contain sugar, so it may seem harmless. However, chewing hard frozen pieces too much can lead to cracks, chips, and even tooth fractures. If you can’t stop chewing, keep sugar-free gum on hand, it is a better alternative to ice. Besides, chewing such gums won’t do any harm to your health as such unless you overdo it.
2. Drinking Milk Or Juice Before Bed
Many people have the habit of drinking milk or juice at night, but they do not know that it is a direct path to the development of dental caries. Drinking sugary milk or juice once in a while won’t do much harm; however, regularly doing it means bathing the teeth in sugar drinks all night. Therefore, it is best to drink sugary milk and juices in the morning.
3. Smoking Cigarettes
Cigarettes and other tobacco products cause teeth discoloration and even tooth loss as a result of gum disease. Smoking tobacco can even cause cancer of the mouth, lips, and tongue due to its high concentration of carcinogens.
Thus, you need to quit smoking or use vape instead.In vaping, a person does not receive high doses of carcinogens, saving a person from harmful diseases. So you must switch to vaping to save yourself from harmful effects of cigarettes.
Besides, you can find a variety of e-liquid at reasonable prices, and you can even get cheap E liquid with the best flavors online. So if you haven’t thought of trying vape before, do it today, as it will prevent further deterioration of your oral health.
4. Drinking Fruit Juices
Fruit juices are full of vitamins and antioxidants, but unfortunately, most of them contain a potent dose of sugar. Some juices may contain as much sugar as sodas. Fruit is naturally sweet, so choose drinks without added sugar. You can also reduce the amount of sugar by mixing the juice with water, and it will help you keep your teeth healthy.
5. Piercing The Tongue
A tongue piercing is alight, but wearing a metal earring can damage the tooth. A similar risk exists with lip piercings. In addition, the metal rubbing against the gums can pinch them or even lead to tooth loss. The oral cavity creates an ideal environment for bacteria to grow, so piercings increase the risk of infections and wounds. It is best to talk to your dentist about the potential risks of piercing.
6. Cough Drops And Lozenges
Cough drops and lozenges are widely used, which does not mean, however, that they are useful. Most are high in sugar, so be sure to wash your teeth after the pain is relieved or bacteria in the mouth will convert sugars into acids. This will have a detrimental effect on tooth enamel and may even cause tooth decay.
7. Eating Marmalade
All sweets contribute to the development of tooth decay, but some do more than others. Particularly harmful are those that stick to the tooth; yes, we are discussing marmalade here. So if you can’t skip the marmalade, eat it with meals and not as a standalone snack. Because during meals, the production of saliva increases, this allows you to get rid of food debris.
8. Carbonated Drinks
Sweets aren’t the only source of extra sugar. Carbonated drinks can contain up to 11 teaspoons of sugar per serving. Moreover, these drinks contain phosphoric or citric acids, which are harmful to the enamel.
Diet drinks do not contain sugar, but they may have higher fatty acid levels in the form of artificial sweeteners. If you want a perfect smile and want to avoid all sorts of dental problems, cut back on carbonated drinks.
9. Opening The Package With Your Teeth
Opening bottles or plastic packages with your teeth is very convenient, but this habit is a direct road to the dentist. With such actions, cracks and chips may form on the teeth. Always keep scissors and bottle openers close at hand because teeth should only be used for chewing food and not to open packages. This little change will help to restore your oral health.
10. Consuming Energy Drinks
There is no doubt that energy drinks are great for post-workout recovery; however, they are high in sugar. Just like sweets and sodas, energy drinks increase the production of fatty acids that are harmful to enamel. Their frequent use can lead to the development of tooth decay, so it is better to choose sugar-free drinks.
11. Eating Potato Chips
Bacteria love starchy foods. Floss your teeth after drinking beer or other starchy foods that usually remain between your teeth. Moreover, constant snacking releases less saliva than the main meal, leaving food stuck on your teeth for hours. Avoid frequent snacking and eating starchy foods.
12. Gnawing On A Pencil
Do you often bite your pencil when you are focused on work? This habit, like ice chewing, can cause tooth cracks and chips. By far better, chewing gum, which induces the production of saliva, strengthens the teeth and protects the enamel from acids.
13. Drinking Coffee
The dark color of coffee and its acidity cause teeth to turn yellow. Fortunately, these are some of the easiest stains to remove. Check with your dentist if you are worried about discolored teeth and also cut back on your daily intake of coffee.
Take Away
We all want a pretty and shining smile; however, we ourselves ruin the beauty of teeth by indulging in bad habits. The most common of them are drinking lots of coffee, smoking cigarettes, chewing ices, etc. By giving up these bad habits, you can prevent several teeth problems such as discoloration, tooth decay, enamel erosion, etc. So replace all the above-mentioned habits with healthy ones so you can have a beautiful smile.