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Dealing with bleeding gums, a cracked tooth, and toothaches can be annoying and painful. Many of these are a result of poor dental habits, including not brushing your teeth, not flossing, and eating too many sugary foods. Aside from these everyday habits, however, many other things contribute to your bad dental health.
With that said, here are five other dental habits that significantly damage your teeth and gums:
1. Brushing your teeth too hard
Some people think that brushing their teeth with strong pressure helps remove cavities faster and more effectively. However, dental experts say that doing so only creates more damage. Brushing your teeth too hard irritates your gums, which may lead to causing gum disease or recession.
Brush your teeth two or three times a day by gently using a toothbrush with soft bristles. Make short strokes away from your gums at a 45-degree angle.
2. Biting your nails
Nail-biting is a common habit of antsy individuals. It is one way they cope when dealing with stressful situations. As you may know, biting nails is harmful to your health because your nails are dirty, even when you do not see visible dirt on it. Aside from that, it may also cause chipping on your teeth as well as jaw dysfunction.
If you want to get rid of this bad habit, consider getting a hobby that requires the use of your hands, such as crocheting, sketching, and planting greenery. Another simple solution is by applying bitter-tasting nail polish, as this may discourage you from biting your nails.
3. Grinding your teeth
Stressful situations may also encourage you to grind or clench your teeth, which are harmful to your teeth and jaw. It can cause damage such as wearing down your teeth. In some cases, it can encourage the development of Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD), which causes pain in your jaw joints and the muscles responsible for your jaw movement. Missing or uneven teeth can also cause TMD.
If you want to get rid of this habit, consult your dentist right away. They may recommend you wearing a custom mouth guard if you often clench your teeth when sleeping. You can also participate in any stress-relieving activity to reduce stress and anxiety that causes you to grind your teeth.
4. Chewing ice cubes
Chewing ice cubes may be fun and refreshing, but it can actually damage your teeth and gums. Your teeth are strong and resilient. However, repeated bumping of two hard surfaces may cause them to chip.
Chipped teeth are irritating and may cause pain as well. Consider chewing sugar-free gum if you can’t stop the urge of chewing on something in your mouth.
5. Opening or ripping items using your teeth
Many people use their teeth when opening bottles and snack bags or ripping price tags off their belongings. Doing so can not only cause bleeding in your gums, but it may also chip and crack your teeth as well.
If you can’t open or remove something, remember to not use your teeth and consider using the right tool or asking for help.
Conclusion
Brushing your teeth is not the only thing that you should do to maintain excellent dental health. There are common habits that you may be doing that can damage your teeth and gums. These include nail-biting, brushing teeth too hard, teeth clenching, chewing ice cubes, and opening or ripping items using your teeth. If you want to maintain good dental health, you should avoid doing harmful habits alongside proper maintenance.
If you need a dental checkup and looking for a dental house in Waterford, get in touch with one of our staff today. We offer affordable dentistry that is trusted by many of our clients.
