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Bad Habits: 10 Habits that Hurt Healthy Teeth

Posted on 31/05/2018 Dental Hygiene
Bad habit - woman biting her fingernails.

It’s easy to fall into bad habits. What starts as an occasional behaviour can become a compulsion. Most of us have something we do every day without being aware of the impact we could be having on our health. We’ve Identified 10 bad habits that might be hurting your healthy teeth without you even realising it! 

1 - Nail Biting. Perhaps one of the most common compulsive habits. Nail biting will often take place without the biter being aware of what they are doing. It can become a problem for teeth and gums when done excessively. when done too often. Excessive nail biting can cause harm to teeth and gums, especially through the transfer of germs.


2 - Overbrushing. Brushing your teeth is a good habit. But brushing too frequently or using too much force can erode the protective white enamel on your teeth. Our dentists and hygienists regularly see damaged teeth and gums that are the result of overbrushing. Signs that a patient is overbrushing include receding gums, exposed roots, worn teeth and cavities at the base of a tooth.


3 - Tooth Grinding and Jaw Clenching. Everybody grinds their teeth occasionally. The behaviour has been observed in babies who barely have any teeth! Grinding and clenching is more common at night – a tell-tale sign of such night time activity is an aching jaw upon waking up.


4 - Snacking. Junk foods and sugary drinks are often acidic. Frequency of contact with acidic foods is a bigger predictor of dental erosion than quantity consumed. Cutting down on the snacking between meals – especially sugary acidic foods and drinks – will be good for your teeth as well as your waistline. 


5 - Chewing Ice. For people with sensitive teeth, even the thought of this one will make them wince. Others just love the squeaky cracking sound of biting down hard on ice! However, constant ice chewing runs the risk of cracking or chipping your teeth.


6 - Biting Things Open. Patients with fractured teeth have sometimes done the stupidest things. Have you ever seen someone tear into a packet of crisps with their canines, remove a clothes tag with their incisors or open a bottle of beer with their premolars? Don’t be tempted to copy this behaviour. Doing so can easily crack or chip your teeth.


7 - Heavy Drinking. Most British adults enjoy an alcoholic drink from time to time. However, there are lots of reasons to be wary of drinking too often. Regular alcohol use has been correlated with higher plaque levels. Alcohol also dries the mouth, reducing the effectiveness of saliva at preventing bacterial infection.


8 - Smoking. Surprisingly, considering the damage that smoking does to the heart and lungs, the symptoms most likely to prompt a smoker to quit are those associated with the mouth: bad breath, bleeding gums, sore throat and yellow teeth. 


9 - Chewing Inanimate Objects. Occasionally chewing on the rubber end of a pencil or the arm of your spectacles presents little risk; but when it becomes a habit, the chances of chipping a tooth increase. If you feel the need to chew, chew sugar free gum!


10 - Skipping the Brushing. Our hygienists recommend that you brush your teeth twice a day. Once just before bed and once at any other time of day that suits you. Wait at least half an hour after consuming acidic foods. And don’t skip a session because you are up late or on holiday!

At Norfolk Dental Specialists, we want our patients to develop good oral hygiene habits that they will stick with for life. If you need any advice on how to maintain a healthy smile, our team of dental hygienists will be happy to help.


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