admin - February 16, 2016
Everyone needs to practice good dental habits to avoid deteriorating our teeth. Nowadays our lifestyle is such that we end up unknowingly harming our overall health. Same applies for dental health. Certain dental habits are worse and can harm you in the long run. Before things get worse, you need to get rid of all such bad dental habits.
Following is the list of five dental habits you need to stop:
1. Not Brushing and Flossing Properly
People brush and floss regularly. But most of us brush just once a day. You should break this practice and nurture the habit of brushing twice a day. Also make sure you floss once a day daily. The toothbrush that you use should be replaced every three months, because lot of germs accumulate on toothbrush. If you do not replace it, chances are they might harm your mouth.
If you are unsure about how to floss properly, you can always ask your dentist to guide you. Along with brushing and flossing, rinsing your mouth at regular intervals is equally important. At times we consume foods that stain our teeth, so it is necessary you get rid of that stain.
If you have kids, ensure that you take proper care of their oral health too. Buy them a kid’s toothbrush of soft bristles and help them in brushing.
2. Crunching and Sipping
We have the bad habit of slurping ice and crunching it without realising its consequences. The cold temperature and brittleness of ice cubes can lead to the fracture of teeth. They can cause cracks on the surface of the enamel. Over the time they can turn into bigger dental problems. Popcorn kernel is another stuff that causes tooth to fracture.
Along with crunching, sipping sugary soda all through the day is a bad habit that you should break. The regular exposure to acidic and sweet beverages can lead to tooth decay.
3. Grinding Your Teeth
Grinding teeth is another bad habit which will harm your teeth. It causes them to wear off. Research says that teeth grinding happens due to anxiety and stress. It is also caused by crooked or missing teeth.
To prevent teeth grinding at night, your dentist might suggest you to wear a mouth guard. Custom made model fits better. You may practice certain exercises or undergo counselling to get rid of stress and nervousness. Also cut down on alcohol and foods that contain caffeine. Avoid chewing on pens and pencils or anything that is not food.
4. Using Teeth as Opener
It is found that for number of odd jobs people rely on their teeth. These jobs include opening a bottle, tearing bags, uncapping the bottles etc. This can traumatize your teeth and weaken them. They can even chip off and get fractured.
It is always advisable to use scissors and knife to cut and open things. Have some mercy on your teeth and let them do their work of chewing only.
5. Using Hard Bristled Toothbrush
People have the misconception that hard bristled toothbrush cleans teeth better. There are certain toothbrush mistakes that you should fix. You should always prefer soft bristled toothbrush. Especially for older people it is advised to avoid hard bristles since they can damage their gums. Such toothbrushes can even irritate the gums and cause tooth sensitivity. You can always take your dentist advice to know which toothbrush suits you the best.
If you want your gums to stay healthy and avoid the painful root canal treatments, it is essential for you to get rid of all these habits. Also visit your dentist at least twice a year.
