Teeth are your companions for life. Whenever you smile, talk or eat, these 28-32 hidden fellows are helping you silently. The primary function of teeth is chewing and biting food, which helps in proper digestion. Besides, they also play an important role in word pronunciation and proper facial structure. So, it is very important to take extreme care of your teeth health and hygiene.
Twice a day, brushing, flossing, mouthwash and tongue cleaning are very good for dental hygiene, but not enough. These good daily habits indeed have a long-term impact on the health and longevity of your teeth, but there are certain bad habits that you must avoid.
Smoking, tobacco consumption, nail-biting, thumb sucking, tongue pricing, grinding of teeth, sugary and unhealthy eating habits are some of the secret perpetrators that are ruining your teeth.
The strange thing is that most of us unknowingly continue with one or the other bad dental habits without knowing their impact on our dental implants nhs health.
In this article, we will discuss the most common bad dental habits, which can cause serious harm to tooth wellbeing.
1. Improper and Hard Brushing – can Destroy the Enamel
It’s a common belief that scrubbing teeth hard would make them extra clean and sparkling white. But this is a complete myth.
Brushing too hard harms our teeth enamel. Doing this over time can cause serious tooth damage and gum irritation.
Some people brush so aggressively that they even hurt their gums. Remember, excess of anything is bad.
Brush twice a day and with gentle strokes for 2-3 minutes using a soft brush. While brushing the teeth, massage the gums simultaneously.
2. Teeth Grinding & Clinching – can Develop Jaw-related Problems
You must have seen many people grinding their teeth when angry. Also, many have the bad habit of teeth grinding.
It is a condition known as Bruxism, in which a person subconsciously grinds their teeth. Some of the triggers for Bruxism are stress, anxiety and sleep disorders.
This is one bad habit, which can cause other harms like lockjaw, misaligned jaw, headaches and worn-out teeth.
It can also lead to fractured or chipped teeth in some extreme cases.
As it is most commonly done while sleeping, it is even harder to control.
Wearing a mouthguard at night is recommended to control damages caused by grinding.
3. Nail-Biting – can cause Infections
We all must have bitten our nails. It is one of the most common habits to combat fear or stress. But some people are habitual of nail biting.
It seems harmless, but it can have a harsh effect on all front incisors. It can even cause jaw dysfunction.
Also, the germs and bacteria from nails can go inside your body through nail-biting, causing various infections.
Nail-biting can be controlled by self-monitoring. You can also apply bad taste nail enamels available in the market to get rid of the hardcore nail-biting habit.
4. Thumb Sucking – can Lead to Misalignment
You might find an infant or a toddler cute sucking their thumb. It is something that should be stopped once permanent teeth start setting.
This has to be checked immediately in growing children, especially in the 5-8 years age group. It causes an overbite or misaligned teeth.
5. Tongue Piercings – can Cause Frequent Mouth Sores
Many people experiment with their looks to look hot and happening. Amongst other things, they go for tongue piercing.
However, little do they know that metal inside the mouth can cause harm to oral health and hygiene. It can become a breeding ground for bacteria, increasing the chances of infections and mouth sores.
So, such practice should be avoided.
6. Teeth Torture – can Result in Dental Emergencies
Some people have this strange habit of using their teeth as tools. They use it naturally for opening bottle caps or cutting strong packaging wrappers.
This habit can cause serious damage to the teeth. It may result in accidents and even cause emergency dentist Chiswick if the teeth get chipped.
7. Temperature Wavering – can Lead to Extreme Sensitivity
Your oral tissues and teeth are delicate to handle extreme temperature wavering. So be careful while biting or chewing anything too cold or too hot as both situations harm teeth.
It is a common habit to gorge on ice cubes. But biting down hard ice cubes can cause instant toothache and result in damaged or cracked teeth.
Also, drinking hot beverages can cause teeth sensitivity. So, it would help if you were careful of the optimum temperature of consumables.
8. Misusing Toothpicks – can Hurt the Gums and Cause Bleeding
After having sumptuous food, especially non-vegetarian delicacies, people use toothpicks to remove gunk stuck between the teeth. This should be done gently with ease.
Strong starching on the tooth surface can cause enamel damage. Also, shoving it deep within the crack of your teeth causes the teeth to shift and form gaps.
9. Cigarette Smoking – can Cause Various Oral Cancers
We all know that smoking is harmful to overall health. There are many ways smoking harms the human body.
Smoking can cause numerous problems within our oral cavity like teeth staining, periodontal disease, bad breath, and even cancer of the mouth, tongue, and lips.
Smoking reduces saliva production and increases the risk of harmful bacteria accumulation and tooth decay.
Smoking is one of the most common habits of people globally that is immensely dangerous for oral health.
10. Binge-Eating – can Cause Tooth Decay
Binge-eating is never good for your health. Sugar and starchy food habits can lead to various health problems, including obesity, eating disorders, and, most importantly, poor dental health.
Binge-eating often involves unhealthy foods – most fast foods with a lot of sugar and sticky substances.
This can invite harmful bacteria that feed on the leftover food particles and sugars in between the teeth spaces.
When bacteria feed on sugar, they produce acids that weaken the enamel, which can damage your teeth and gums.
Teeth are such a part of our body that we all want to retain for a long time. But then it requires a lot of care to stay healthy and be with you in the latest stage of your life. So, overcome the bad dental habits and follow good oral practices. Stay healthy, stay happy by smiling wide.
To ensure and maintain good oral health, it is recommended to schedule regular visits for checkups and cleaning. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today for more information.
