Long Ridge Dental BLOG

7 Astonishing Activities That May Be Damaging Your Teeth & Gums

By: | Tags: , , , , | Comments: 0 | June 25th, 2022

As youngsters, many of us were instructed not to engage in certain behaviors with our teeth if we did not want to cause damage to them. That strategy was effective for a certain period. But as we got older, many of us not only started doing those activities but also took a step further and made them a habit. These behaviors, if practiced frequently enough, have the potential to do a great deal of harm to our gums and teeth. Read on for more information on the seven worst habits that you must stop practicing immediately to preserve the health of your teeth and gums.

Chewing Ice

Ice chewing is an innocent practice that is typically performed subconsciously. On the other hand, this habit can cause irreversible harm to your teeth by creating tiny cracks in the enamel of your teeth. These cracks can widen over time and eventually cause a tooth to break, necessitating a trip to the dentist and unneeded expenses to repair them.

If you find it difficult to break this habit, consider substituting cooled water for your drink or asking for it without ice. This may help you avoid the potentially hazardous impulse to chew on those hard crystals.

Clenching or Grinding Your Teeth

It’s common for people to do it unconsciously, but clenching and grinding your teeth can cause damage to your teeth, along with pain in your muscles and restricted jaw movement. The American Dental Association (ADA) suggests practicing relaxation techniques, wearing a mouth guard while sleeping, and becoming more conscious of when one begins clenching or grinding one’s teeth.

Tongue Piercings 

Tongue piercings may be fashionable and eye-catching, but the presence of metal in the mouth always creates an ideal environment for the growth of bacteria, which raises the risk of infections and ulcers. People who have these piercings frequently grow used to playing with the piercing while it is in their mouths. This can lead to a cracked tooth if the person bites down too firmly on the metal that holds the piercing in place.

Sucking Your Thumb

According to experts, sucking one’s thumb or fingers is perfectly normal for infants, but the practice should be discouraged after age five because it might cause teeth to become crooked. This misalignment can result in major dental problems as the youngster matures, especially if the child has braces. Weaning a child off of thumb sucking is something that may be discussed with a child’s physician or pediatric dentist. If your child is at least five years old and still sucking their thumb or finger, talking to either of these professionals can be helpful.

Opening Packages with Your Teeth

People resort to using their teeth to rip open a wide variety of goods since they don’t always have access to scissors and because it can be difficult to find them. Though it might not appear dangerous at first, ripping apart plastic packages can cut your gums and cause you to break a piece of a tooth or even the entire tooth. Because of this, you will need to schedule an appointment with a cosmetic dentist in Surprise at a local dental practice.

Playing Sports without a Mouthguard

Whether you play on a legitimate team or just with a few buddies in the park, experts recommend wearing a mouthguard. This is because it does not take a significant amount of force to lose a tooth or cut your gums when you get hit in the mouth. Additionally, it is important to wear a mouthguard whenever you participate in an activity involving physical contacts, such as basketball or football, to protect your dental health.

Heavy Drinking

Drinking alcohol causes the mouth to dry out, preventing saliva from wiping away bacteria, leading to poor smell and increasing the likelihood of cavities forming in the teeth. In addition, alcohol is acidic, and as a result, it dissolves the enamel of teeth. Either cut back on your daily alcohol consumption to no more than one drink for women and no more than two for men or switch to carbonated sparkling water as a healthier alternative.

Final Take Away

As you can see from the information shown above, many of us tend to engage in various behaviors that are detrimental to the health of our teeth and gums. However, given that you are now aware of them, it is imperative that you immediately begin searching for ways to cut back on or fully remove them from your life. Talking directly to your dentist is one of the most effective ways to address these bad habits and persevere your teeth for life.

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