Everyone knows that healthy habits like regular brushing and flossing are an important part of a beautiful smile. However, there are just as many bad habits that could be damaging your pearly whites as well. A few common but destructive unconscious behaviors in your daily life may be chipping away at your teeth, infecting your gums, and hurting your oral health. Your Carlisle dentist reveals a few everyday activities that are bad for your smile and what you can do about them.
Using Your Teeth as Tools
Whether we’re ripping open a piece of mail we’ve been waiting for or just excited to get into our favorite bag of chips, many of us have used our teeth as tools. While it may save you a few seconds in the moment, it could cost you a lot more time in the dentist’s chair later on! Breaking this habit and using the appropriate tools instead will go a long way in protecting you from a broken tooth!
Over-Aggressive Toothbrushing
Another way many of us unconsciously interact with our pearly whites is while brushing them. While a great dental routine is essential to a healthy smile, forceful brushing can do you much more harm than good. Over-aggressive brushing wears away at your enamel, leading to weakened and sensitive teeth. If your toothbrush bristles become frayed easily, you may be brushing too hard. Try using an ultra-soft bristled electric toothbrush and remind yourself to gently massage your teeth while brushing.
Bad Chewing Habits
Many people develop unconscious bad chewing behaviors when they’re anxious, frustrated, or bored. However, if you find yourself chewing on pen caps, pencils, ice chips, or fingernails you should stop right away. Gnawing on hard objects weakens your enamel, leaves your teeth susceptible to damage and decay, and could lead to an oral infection. To break this habit, satiate your need to chew with a sugarless piece of gum or a crunchy apple.
Snacking Throughout the Day
It’s important to monitor how often you snack as well as how much. Eating cookies, crackers, chips, soda, and even fruit throughout the day provides fuel for the bacteria in your mouth and increases your risk of cavities. Try to limit eating to mealtimes or choose healthier alternatives like cheese, almonds, or celery.
Foregoing Regular Dental Checkups
Many oral health issues like tooth decay, gum disease, oral cancer, and many more can easily progress unnoticed. That’s one of the reasons why you should see your dentist every six months even if your teeth look and feel fine. Your dentist is specially trained to detect these issues as early as possible before you experience any unnecessary damage or discomfort. However, while most issues can be treated or reversed if caught early enough, regular dental checkups are the best way to prevent these problems from occurring in the first place!
About the Author
At Carlisle Family & Cosmetic Dentistry in Carlisle, PA, our goal is to keep you and your family’s smiles healthy and happy for years to come. That’s why Dr. Thomas Neslund encourages his patients to come in every six months for a dental checkup. His decades of experience and state-of-the-art technology can help get your oral health back on track no matter what issue you’re facing. However, he’d much rather help you prevent them from happening in the first place with more tips for better at-home oral hygiene. If you need help breaking your bad oral health habits, feel free to reach him via his website or at (717) 258-5455.