6 Dangerous Habits That Can Destroy Your Teeth
Despite the fact that we all want to have a perfect smile, most of us have at least one bad habit that can affect our teeth. While someone suffers from subconscious teeth grinding, the other person can knowingly use wooden toothpicks or put off regular visits with experts like this dentist in las vegas. The reality is that most of these actions are performed in a stressful situation and some people might even not notice them. In this article, we gathered six dangerous habits that can destroy your teeth.
1. Teeth grinding
Teeth grinding, also called bruxism, is a condition when a person grinds, gnashes, or clenches his or her teeth. Bruxism can be divided into two categories, such as awake and sleep teeth grinding. Awake bruxism means that a person unconsciously grinds his or her teeth while staying awake. Sleep bruxism means that that a person clenches his or her teeth while sleeping.
Teeth grinding can lead to excessive teeth wear and jaw pain. In more severe cases, it can cause headaches, jaw disorders, and tooth fractures. That’s why it is important to visit your dentist and break this habit as soon as possible.
2. Chewing ice
The habit of chewing ice cubes may seem quite harmless, but it can have a lot of unpleasant consequences. Firstly, cold temperatures can make sensitive teeth hurt. Secondly, you can crack or even break a tooth while chewing a hard piece of ice. Thirdly, you can injure your gums with a sharp piece of ice. In order to get rid of this habit, try to replace ice cubes with nuts or pieces of solid fruit and vegetables. If your teeth are not sensitive and you can’t live without cold ice cubes, you can consume an ice-cream instead.
3. Nail-biting
Nail-biting is a quite dangerous habit because, in addition to injuries, you can transfer a huge amount of bacteria. The reality is that there are many bacteria on the fingers and under the nails. When you put your fingers into your mouth, they can easily remain in the oral cavity. Moreover, when you bite your nails, you can hurt your gums with a sharp piece of a nail. This wound opens the way to your bloodstream for dirt and bacteria. Use a special bitter polish on your nails to break nail-biting.
4. Nibbling pencils
Some people tend to nibble the tip of a pencil while working or writing. However, you should understand that pencils are not sterile. They are covered with dirt, bacteria, and paint that can even be toxic. In addition to this, you can also hurt your gums and crack your teeth. If you want to get rid of this habit, you can try to smear the tip of a pencil with pepper or something untasty. It will help you to avoid nibbling pencils the next time.
5. The use of wooden toothpicks
If you usually use a wooden toothpick to get rid of food particles that are stuck between your teeth, it’s high time to change this habit. Wooden toothpicks are too thick to fit the space between your teeth. Moreover, they are sharp and you can injure your gums. In addition to this, wooden toothpicks can crack and stuck between teeth which can lead to injury and inflammation, if you leave this piece in your mouth. To stay on the safe side, it is recommended to use mouthwash and dental floss to remove plaque and food debris.
6. Excessive tooth brushing
Despite the fact that tooth brushing is essential for proper oral hygiene, excessive tooth brushing can lead to unpleasant consequences. Firstly, you can scratch your tooth enamel which may result in tooth sensitivity and cavities. Secondly, excessive tooth brushing can rub your gums and cause wounds. Try to use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush your teeth no more than 3 minutes twice a day.
