Habits Which Damage Your Teeth

Having damaged teeth can be very embarrassing for someone and causes the concerned person to smile less and talk less along with affecting their self-confidence. At the same time, what about the attached bad breath with damaged teeth? Isn’t it the worst thing to feel while talking to others? There are many habits, which people follow knowingly, or unknowingly which ruin your oral health not only in terms of aesthetics, but also in terms of long-term health. So, you need to know what habits are actually causing damage to your teeth to rectify those habits.

This guide on teeth health talks about some habits which damage your teeth and dealing with these habits to regain your teeth appearance and health.

1. Nail biting is a big “NO” if you wish to maintain the health of your teeth. Nail biting causes damage to the teeth by breaking them in the long term.
2. Avoid using your teeth as scissors or knife for tearing a packet of chips etc. Teeth should be used for the purpose, which the God intended, i.e. for chewing food.
3. Never crunch on ice cubes with your teeth, as this habit causes extensive damage to the teeth by breaking the hard enamel of the teeth.
4. Stop sucking your thumbs, as this bad habit can lead to permanent changes, which affect the shape of your teeth and may cause them to jut out. Thumb sucking can also affect the shape of the jaw resulting in misalignment of teeth in the older age. One may even have difficulty in swallowing food and suffer from breathing problems due to this bad habit.
5. Too much of acidic content in food and drinks can leads to corrosion of enamel of your tooth and creates a rough texture of teeth’s surface, which is hard to resolve. So one should shun away from consuming too much of acidic food products.
6. Brushing your teeth too hard or with excessive force is one habit, which we think, is good, but actually leads to deterioration of enamel. It is better to brush your teeth in a mild and gentle manner to avoid harming the enamel. Brushing hard not only damages your teeth but also increases the sensitivity of your teeth resulting in decay and cavity. The bristles of the toothbrush need to be soft so that tooth enamel is protected and remains intact.
7. Jaw grinding is a habit, which is very damaging for the teeth. Teeth grinding and clenching occurs when a person is suffering from depression and/or high stress. Teeth grinding leads to damage to the teeth by causing microfractures in the teeth. Any dental work also gets damaged when you have clenched your teeth for long or if there has been a massive level of grinding.
8. Using your teeth as tool and cutter also leads to cracked teeth, which can become a major reason for deteriorating dental care regime. Do not use your teeth as a tag opener and to open the corks of your bottle, as these habits are quite damaging for your teeth in the long run. If you have been doing this for a long time, your teeth will probably not look good while smiling or talking.
9. Putting your pencil or pen in your mouth and chewing on it is a habit that can lead to various problems of teeth such as gaping of teeth. When you have a non-food object placed in your mouth, there are chances that your teeth may crack and get shifted. If you have some dental work done in your mouth, then putting pencil in your mouth can also result in major damage for your teeth.
10. Wrong food habits, such as high intake of soda, lead to corrosion of teeth. Drinking soda is like dipping your teeth in acid, which gradually leads to corrosion of the enamel along with other dental problems and digestive ailments. Not only that, the acidity in soda hits the high mark which can spell major trouble for you and can also lead to decay of gum line and you will also lose your enamel too.
11. To maintain hygiene, you often choose to clean your mouth with toothpick, but this has to be done in a very careful way. You may be hurting your gum tissues, which can lead to major problems and can be highly damaging for your teeth as well.
12. Most of the problems are caused by wrong habits, which also include not rinsing your mouth after meals. This is particularly important when you have candies or sweets. A silly mistake like this will not only damage your teeth, but also can cause your teeth to fall. If you are suffering from this habit, then it is highly recommended to stop doing so. Just remember one thing – take a good final rinse with cold water, swishing it around your mouth after your meals, so that the food particles get flushed out which helps in arresting tooth decay.
13. You should always avoid snacking on foods, which are rich in carbohydrates and become more aware of what you are eating. Take food in moderation and try to eat everything, which is available locally as it will be more economical and healthy for your teeth as well as your body.