Like most of us, you probably think brushing your teeth and visiting the dentist regularly is enough to keep your smile healthy. However, bad habits can risk your teeth, such as eating too many sugary treats or avoiding regular checkups. If you want to keep your precious pearly whites in top condition, you must understand which bad habits could damage them and work towards eliminating them from your daily routine. This blog post covers some damaging dental behaviors that should be avoided if you want a healthy set of teeth! Read further to learn about some bad habits that could harm your teeth – and what you can do to fix them.
Do you take care of your teeth? It’s easy to fall into bad habits related to brushing, flossing, and other dental practices. Unfortunately, these can have detrimental effects on the health of your teeth and gums. Taking a few moments to revamp your oral hygiene routine could save you from potentially costly or painful problems down the road!
Not taking good care of your teeth can lead to many negative consequences, including cavities, tooth decay, gum disease, and loss of teeth. To keep your teeth healthy, the following are just some of the damaging dental behaviors that you should avoid.
Biting your nails
Biting your nails is one such behavior. Not only does this practice risk the spread of bacteria from your fingertips to your mouth, but it also places unnecessary pressure on the enamel coating of your teeth, making them more prone to decay, chipping, or cracking.
Smoking
Smoking can also damage the health of your teeth. Smoking increases the risk of tooth discoloration, gum disease, and other infections in the mouth. Smoking also weakens your teeth and gums, leading to discoloration and potential tooth loss. Smoking compromises the healthy flow of oxygen and nutrients to gum tissue, which can lead to periodontal diseases like gingivitis, as well as discoloration of teeth.
Excessive tea, coffee, or red wine
Similarly, excessive dark beverages such as coffee and black tea can lead to staining and discoloration. In addition, some of these beverages discolor your teeth over time because of their high tannin content.
Using your teeth to do jobs they weren’t meant for
Alternatively, using your teeth to open bottles or for other activities than chewing food is an easy way to damage enamel and weaken the strength of each tooth – increasing their susceptibility to breakage or decay.
Not keeping a good oral hygiene schedule
Having a proper oral hygiene routine for your teeth to stay healthy is also essential.
Brushing and flossing correctly is a good habit that will positively impact dental hygiene. In addition, brushing for two minutes twice a day with toothpaste containing fluoride is essential, which helps prevent cavities from forming.
It would be best if you flossed your teeth at least once per day to clean between the teeth where toothbrush bristles cannot reach.
Brushing your teeth twice a day and regularly flossing your teeth once a day will help prevent decay caused by plaque buildup.
