Bad Habits for Your Dental Health

The American health portal ‘WebMD’ has pointed out bad habits that can damage your teeth.

Shall we find out what they are?

1. Chewing Ice

There are people who chew on the leftover ice after drinking coffee, beverages, or tea. This can cause significant problems for your teeth.

Especially for older individuals, it's not uncommon for most of their teeth to break, leading to reliance on implant surgery. Research also suggests that the brittle nature and cold temperature of ice fragments can actually cause tooth fractures.

Tiny cracks can form on the enamel surface of teeth, and over time, teeth can become prone to breaking. Therefore, it's best to be careful with habits like chewing ice.

2. Using Teeth as Tools

Using your teeth to open snack bags, bottle caps, or cut tape can shock your teeth.

This can cause the weakened edges of your teeth to chip or break. Therefore, you should keep household tools nearby to avoid using your teeth as tools.

3. Grinding Teeth

Grinding your teeth wears them down. There can be various reasons for teeth grinding.

It might be due to an irregular bite from uneven, missing, or crooked teeth.

If you grind your teeth severely at night, wearing a mouthguard can help.

Additionally, it's advisable to reduce consumption of caffeinated foods and drinks, alcohol, avoid clenching your jaw, and at night, place a warm towel on your cheek in front of your earlobe to help relax your jaw muscles.

4. Using a Hard-Bristled Toothbrush

Do you think a harder toothbrush is better? This is a misconception.

Older adults, in particular, should avoid using hard and stiff bristles.

This is because it can irritate the gums, making teeth sensitive, and as gums weaken with age, they can recede, exposing tooth roots and leading to tooth sensitivity.

Source: Kormedi.com