Although you may not realise it, your daily habits could be killing your teeth. Just little things you may not even think of, like biting your nails or tearing off clothes tags with your teeth could be causing permanent damage. Try avoiding these bad habits and adding these alternatives to your lifestyle to improve your oral health.
Things to Avoid to Keep your Teeth Pearly White
Chewing ice: Chomping on ice or other hard objects like pen tops can ruin your healthy teeth and wear down your enamel. Instead of chewing, suck on ice. Forget the pen tops and chew sugar-free chew gum.
Grinding your Teeth: Teeth grinding or jaw clenching (bruxism) is a common habit and many people are not aware they do it during the day. It may also occur involuntarily while you sleep. Bruxism can wear down your tooth enamel and loosen teeth. Wearing a mouth guard can prevent damage as it keeps your upper and lower teeth separated.
Improper Brushing: There are two things you can do wrong when it comes to brushing your teeth, and both of them can cause problems. One problem is brushing your teeth too hard. This can irritate your gums, cause tooth sensitivity and may wear down your enamel. Use a soft bristle brush to prevent harsh abrasion or a sonic toothbrush so you won’t have to apply pressure. The other problem is brushing too soon after your last meal. By all means, rinse your mouth after you’ve eaten but don’t brush for at least thirty minutes. Brushing too soon after a meal can weaken enamel.
Drinking Damaging Beverages: While drinking soda, fruit juice and alcohol doesn’t usually cause long-term damage to your teeth unless you drink them every day, they can cause issues over time. The sugar in soda and the acid in fruit juice feed bacteria in the mouth which can eventually lead to erosion of your gums and teeth. Alcohol is acidic and tends to reduce the production of saliva which also encourages bacteria.
Using Your Teeth as Tools: Nail biting, opening candy wrappers and tearing tags from clothes with your teeth can cause chips and fractures and result in jaw pain. The only thing you should use your teeth for is chewing food.
Maintaining Healthy Oral Habits: You can begin your new oral regime by whitening your teeth. Just making them a shade or two brighter can make a big difference to the way you look and feel. You will immediately appear younger and healthier and your confidence will increase. Home whitening kits are easy to use and they won’t break your budget. You should begin to notice the difference after just a few applications. Here, you can find out more about teeth whitening kits.
Keep your teeth and gums healthy by practice good oral hygiene. Brush teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly. Using an antibacterial mouthwash can help prevent gum disease and will keep your breath fresh for hours.
Author Bio:
Naomi May enjoys writing about health and beauty topics, creating her own beauty scrubs and balms using natural ingredients and reading fashion magazines.
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