Blog Post
Habits that Hurt Your Teeth
gmsadmin • Mar 09, 2017
Costly Dental Habits
If you’ve been seeing your dentist regularly and practice proper oral hygiene, you’re on the fast track to having a perfect smile! However, there are other habits that could be detracting from your efforts. You could hurt your teeth with little, everyday actions without even realizing it.
- Chewing on Ice: Chomping on hard, frozen ice cubes can cause your teeth to chip or even crack. If you do it often enough, chewing on ice can also cause toothaches or cold sensitivity. Grab some sugarless gum to gnaw on instead.
- Opening Stuff with Your Teeth: This may seem convenient if you’re opening a ketchup packet, but it makes dentists cringe. This method of opening things can crack or chip your teeth or even cut your gums. Just keep scissors or bottle openers handy to use.
- Drinking Sports Drinks: Yes, they may be refreshing after a long practice, but sports drinks are very high in sugar. Just like in sodas and candy, all that sugar can wear down your enamel and cause cavities. A better choice for a post-game drink is cold water.
- Chomping on Pencils: Do you gnaw on your pencil when trying to concentrate? That chewing can chip or crack your teeth, just like chewing on ice does. Try some sugarless gum instead if you still need something to chomp on.
- Playing without a Mouthguard: If you play a contact sport, such as football or hockey, please, please wear a mouthguard. Without one, a single hit could chip your tooth or knock it out altogether. If you don’t want to wear a store-bought one, your dentist could make you a custom mouthguard.
As much as your dentist suggests you practice good oral hygiene habits, it’s up to you to make sure you don’t counteract those habits with other bad ones. If you want to improve your smile, visit Ron Murphy Dentistry in Batavia, IL. We are committed to providing our patients with high-quality, personalized dental care so everyone walks out of our office with a healthier, brighter smile. To schedule an appointment, please call 630-879-7642.