Worst Habits for Tooth Health

Many people are out there looking for solutions to the problems occurring with their teeth. However, things would be a lot simpler if you don’t do certain things that are causing damage to your teeth. Particular habits, even the minor ones, could be creating a lot of trouble for your teeth’ health. Take notes of the following habits and try to avoid them. You will see a major change in your teeth health over time. 

Worst Habits for Tooth Health

Consuming Sugary Items

This is the biggest cause of problems occurring with a person’s teeth. As per the American Dental Association, consistent consumption of foods and drinks which have a high amount of sugar content can damage teeth. This occurs due to cavities that cause bacteria in the mouth and cause pain as well. 

You can conduct this experiment yourself as well. On one day, take a few sweet items such as candy and a soda drink. Consume both of them and evaluate the condition of your teeth. On another day, avoid all types of sugary items and only consume regular foods. You will feel a visible difference in your teeth. The teeth would be pasty and sticky on the day you consumed the sugary items while they would be perfect on the day you didn’t. Therefore, the best practice is to reduce the consumption of all sugary items and whenever you do so, remember to brush right away. 

You can also search on Youtube regarding “Coke and Teeth Experiment”. The video shows how sodas such as Coca-Cola are extremely harmful to teeth health and could lead to the decaying of teeth in a very quick time. 

Excessive consumption of soda could give permanent damage to the teeth. 

Chewing Ice

You might have heard someone complaining that they have sensitive teeth which is why their teeth would feel sudden jabs of pain or even lingering toothache when consuming something extremely cold or hot such as ice cream or coffee, respectively. Sometimes this is a natural condition while other times, the person may be responsible for it himself. 

Ice is harmful to the teeth so avoid chewing it at all costs. In case ice cream is extraordinarily frozen such that you have to bite it, we suggest you wait until it gets a little unfrozen so you can either swallow or lick it. Frozen cubes can chip the teeth. Many people try out cold frozen slides in the summer months which have large chunks of ice. Munching on such slushes may seem delicious but carries the risk of cracking or giving pain to your teeth. In case you feel like chewing something, gum would work well. 

Chewing ice is a bad habit for teeth health. 

Using Teeth as Tools

Sure! You might look cold when you try to open a bottle of beer with your precious teeth but this bad habit could cause permanent and irreparable damage to your teeth. While this may come as a surprise to many, it is true that a lot of people use their teeth to perform tasks that should not be done with the teeth. Even if you don’t have any proper tool to open a bottle or jar caps, we still recommend that you don’t use the teeth as the alternative. Many people have also lost their teeth while doing such acts. 

Improper Brushing Habits

Brushing is something that should be done in a convenient manner. Many rush to do it with a hard brushing action. On the other hand, some people do it in such a slow manner that brushing does no benefit for the teeth. Try to use a regular and free motion with the brushing not being too hard or too soft. This will result in a proper cleanup of the bacteria and will be helpful in minimizing cavities as well. 

Moreover, don’t just have a simple action for cleaning your teeth. First, go horizontally and clean both the upper and lower teeth. Then, you should clean the teeth vertically. Flossing is also another important habit which many people don’t do. Flossing will make sure that your teeth are in absolutely perfect condition with no food particles. 

According to the American Dental Association, the bristles of the toothbrush should be soft. This again highlights the importance of not brushing too hard. Some people also have a bad habit of using the same brush for many months. This is quite unhealthy as well as the bristles of the toothbrush are also damaged after some time. Avoid this habit by replacing your toothbrush every 4 months. In addition to that, a person must brush twice a day with the application of toothpaste on the teeth for a minimum of 2 minutes. 

Soft bristle toothbrush ensures better teeth health. 

Using Non-Certified Products

You might not even know that you are buying a non-certified product but this could be damaging your teeth as well. Although the majority of the toothpaste and toothbrushes you see in the markets are certified, there are some which are not fully certified. One can also make the mistake of buying a non-certified product online. 

As per the American Dental Association (ADA), a seal of acceptance is awarded to any product which has provided authentic scientific research and evidence regarding the usefulness, safety, and efficacy of the product. For example, if a toothbrush fully passes the certain standards set by the American Dental Association, only then will it be certified. Make safe and healthy choices by only buying those items which have the mark by ADA. 

Here are some of the best medicines for toothaches – Strongest Over the Counter Pain Medication for Toothaches

Brushing Teeth “Only”

If you are brushing your teeth only, you are potentially causing major harm to your teeth health. Experts recommend that you also thoroughly brush the gums and softly brush your tongue as well. Not only does this ensure that no bacteria is remaining, but it also helps in reducing bad odor from the mouth. People who don’t brush their gums and teeth along with their teeth are inviting many oral problems such as gum disease caused due to Plaque. 

A useful tip provided by many expert dentists is that you use a mouth wash just as you brush your teeth. By thoroughly using a mouthwash, the gums and tongue will be cleaned while there is going to be no bad odor as well.

Brush gums also for proper teeth health.  

Playing Sports Without a Mouth Guard

If you ever see professional sportsmen, they would be wearing mouthguards to protect themselves from sports equipment. Even if they are wearing helmets, they still wear mouth guards. This shows that it is quite important to wear these mouth guards to protect your teeth, especially the jawline area.

However, many people, particularly youngsters, do not wear any kind of mouthguard. As a result, when they do get hit by something such as a ball, their teeth get a lot of impacts. Sometimes, these teeth get loose while in other instances, they simply break. A mouth guard will also protect against harmful germs in the air to get in contact with your teeth. Simply, no one wants to have chipped teeth but the majority don’t bother getting the right equipment prior to playing sports. 

Wearing mouth guards will minimize damage to your teeth. 

Tongue Piercings

Metallic objects are quite harmful to the teeth. When they come in contact with the teeth, they can chip them off, loosen them, or leave scratch marks as well. Moreover, any kind of jewelry item on the tongue could be rubbed against the gums as well which can cause bleeding inside the mouth as well. Piercings will increase the risk of catching infections because different types of bacteria can grow on the metal. If you wish to save your teeth and gums from any mishaps, avoid tongue piercings at all costs. 

Tongue piercing is a bad habit for teeth health. 

Teeth Grinding

The condition where a person presses the upper teeth hardly with the lower teeth is called grinding of teeth. Grinding of teeth weakens them as they are resisting each other while in certain cases, extra pressure could also lead to breaking of the teeth. Sometimes, teeth grinding is a condition caused due to excessive stress and abnormal sleeping habits. We recommend consulting with a psychologist if you are facing excessive stress and having teeth grinding problems. 

In the winter season, the teeth cluttering increases if you go to an extraordinarily cold place without wearing warm clothes. The easiest solution to the problem of teeth grinding is using a mouth guard which would protect your teeth from clenching against each other. With a consistent habit of using a mouth guard, you will eventually get over the habit of grinding your teeth. 

Related – Best Position to Sleep in When You Have a Toothache

Teeth grinding is a bad habit for teeth health. 

Conclusion

Above we have mentioned some of the worst habits for the health of your teeth. If you follow the tips as well as avoid the habits mentioned above, you will be able to have better and strong teeth. Keep in mind that even if you do take any treats that are harmful to your teeth, you can always minimize the impact by brushing right away and using a mouthwash. This will eliminate all kinds of bacteria from your mouth. If you find this post interesting, we also suggest you to read our article on the natural remedies for fighting inflammation