Bad Habits to Break Today

We all have them, those bad habits that we know aren’t good for us. Some of our habits contribute to poor overall health, and some impact your oral heath! Yikes. By now we all know that smoking is bad for our health, but some bad habits that damage your teeth may not be so obvious. Let’s talk about them!

Using Teeth As Tools

Teeth help us eat, talk, smile, and give shape to our face. They are amazing tools, BUT you should only use teeth for what they are designed for. When you use your teeth to open a bottle, rip off a price tag, or carry something when your hands are full, you run the risk of long-term permanent damage including cracking your teeth or even injuring your jaw. Talk about not worth it!

Nail Biting

Do you bite your nails when you are nervous? Nail biting is bad for both your overall health and your oral health. As we move throughout each day we are constantly touching things and picking up bacteria along the way. When you bite your nails, you expose your mouth to all of that nasty and potentially dangerous bacteria under your nails. Additionally, nail biting can wear down your teeth, chip your teeth and even cause jaw misalignment.  

Chewing Ice

Is eating ice really that bad? In short, YES! Chewing on ice can cause some serious damage to your teeth including cracks, chips and damage to current dental restorations. It can also irritate the tissue around your teeth. Time to say goodbye to chewing ice for good! 

Teeth Grinding

Stress can do awful things to our bodies and it sometimes causes us to develop bad habits. Teeth grinding (or bruxism) is one of those bad habits that can develop out of stress and anxiety, often without even knowing it! Teeth grinding can wear down your teeth and expose them to decay.  If you think you may be griding your teeth throughout the day, or in your sleep, talk to your doctor about a mouth guard or consider stress-reducing exercises.

Brushing Too Hard

This one can be surprising to some, but brushing your teeth too hard or aggressively actually causes more harm than good. Aggressively brushing your teeth can irritate the gums, cause gums to recede, wear down tooth enamel, and lead to tooth sensitivity. To prevent brushing too hard, choose a toothbrush with soft bristles and make sure to replace your toothbrush when the bristles show signs of wear. If you have any questions about choosing the right toothbrush, we are happy to help!

Avoiding the Dentist!

Who would want to avoid the dentist? 🙂  Avoiding preventative dental care directly impacts your oral health.  If you think that you’re too busy for a dental checkup, or that the little bit of pain you feel whenever you bite will probably go away by itself, think again. Putting off dental care often leads to more invasive (and more expensive) dental issues.  

If you are new to the area, or looking for a new dentist, we would love to meet you! Beaufort Center for Dentistry is in network with all major dental insurance providers and is conveniently located in the Ribaut Professional Park at 1264 Ribaut Road in Beaufort, S.C. Schedule your appointment online or call us at (843) 524-7950. We look forward to meeting you!

Categorised in: Dental Tips, General