Keeping permanent teeth is important as you age. Dental experts say that daily brushing and flossing, regular dental exams and professional cleanings may not be enough if you’re also hard on your teeth. Here’s a list of seven habits that can damage your teeth:
- Grinding teeth – Many people grind their teeth when stressed or while sleeping. This habit can result in chipped, broken or fractured teeth. If this happens to you, dental professionals recommend using a nighttime mouth guard, which can be made by the dentist, or purchased at a local pharmacy.
- Biting your cheek –Misaligned teeth may cause people to bite the inside of their cheek accidentally. If this happens a lot, it can lead to chronic mouth sores, possible infection and even oral cancer down the road. Ask your dentist for advice on how to handle this issue.
- Forgetting to floss – You’re tired and longing for sleep, so you skip flossing your teeth. While failing to floss one day may not cause a problem, it’s easy to develop the bad habit of skipping this step. Brushing helps remove plaque from tooth surfaces, but flossing dislodges food particles that get stuck between teeth.
- Chewing ice – Crunching on ice may crack or chip teeth, resulting in the need for a filling or crown. Instead, suck on small chunks or crushed ice and avoid costly dental bills.
- Tearing packages – You’ve probably used your teeth to tear open a food package or pry something loose. While the habit seems harmless, teeth are not substitutes for real tools like scissors. It can traumatize your teeth and chip weak enamel.
- Smoking – Tobacco may cause your teeth to yellow, gums to recede, senses of taste and smell to change, breath to be foul and can increase your risk for oral cancer.
- Thumb-sucking – It’s difficult to quit this habit. Some claim that thumb-sucking helps them deal with stress, cope with difficult situations or fall asleep. Thumb-sucking can cause crooked teeth and a misaligned bite.
To learn more, read “Do You Have These 5 Bad Dental Habits” and “5 Bad Oral Health Habits You Need to Break”.
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