Many people think that brushing their teeth every day is enough to achieve perfect dental health. Unfortunately, many every day habits can cause significant damage to your teeth without you even realizing. Here is a look at some common activities that are hurting your teeth.
Sugar
This is the worst thing you can put in your mouth in terms of dental health. It is important to limit the exposure of your teeth to sugar. While it may not be possible to remove sugar from your diet, you can ensure it does not stay in your mouth for very long. As soon as sugar enters your mouth, it is consumed by bacteria that produces acid. These acids will eat at the enamel in your teeth. Brush and floss as soon as possible after eating or drinking something high in sugar.
Soda and Alcohol
Both soda and alcoholic beverages are loaded with sugars and acid. Even sugar and calorie free sodas are not good for your teeth. Drinking a can of soda or beer is the equivalent of bathing your teeth in an acidic environment. Fruit juices are also loaded with sugar, which is bad for teeth.
Alcohol has a doubly negative impact on your teeth, because it dries your mouth, which reduces the production of saliva. Having ample saliva in your mouth is key to removing plaque and bacteria from your teeth.
Smoking or Chewing Tobacco
Smoking has significant negative impacts on your oral health. Not only does smoking or chewing tobacco discolor your teeth, but it often leads to tooth aches and other ailments. The nicotine present in all cigarettes damages your teeth and has been linked to oral cancer. Chewing tobacco is an even worse, because it brings carcinogens in contact with your teeth, gums, tissues and other parts of your mouth.
Chewing Ice
Abougoush Professional Corp, a dentist in Calgary, suggests that chewing on ice can damage your teeth. In the same way as chewing on a pen or pencil tip, chewing ice chips away at your teeth, causing damage to the enamel surfaces. Repeated ice chewing could even crack into your tooth structure.
Along with brushing your teeth before and after sleeping, and flossing daily, it is important to avoid harmful habits. Limit sugar, soda and alcohol consumption, avoid tobacco entirely, and stop bad habits such as chewing on ice. This will ensure that your teeth are healthy for a long time.