Everyone knows that eating junk and sugary food is bad for the teeth. However, there are many other less-known bad habits that may compromise your dental health. They are outlined below:
- Chewing ice cubes
Sometimes, we get bored and feel the need to chew ice cubes; not smart. Your teeth are hard, but so are ice cubes, and the constant collision of 2 hard objects never ends well. The more you chew on ice cubes, the weaker your teeth get. You may end up chipping a tooth or irritating your gums.
- Nail-biting
Generally, nail biting is bad because it is unhealthy and it makes one look nervous and fidgety. However, it is also dangerous to the teeth. Nonstop nail-biting endangers your enamel, causes your teeth to break and misalign, and the germs from under your nails may lead to gum infections.
- Brushing too hard
Brushing is good for your teeth, brushing hard isn’t. It damages your gum and causes inflammation, which may lead to infections or gum recession. Get a toothbrush (that complies to ADA standard) with a soft bristle and brush your teeth gently (with short strokes) for approximately 2 minutes.
- Clenching/grinding your teeth
We involuntarily clench/grind our teeth when we get angry or frustrated. This is very bad for the teeth and when done constantly, it causes wear and tear. Teeth clenching or grinding may also lead to serious dental problems like Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD).
- Over-utilization
Using your teeth to open a bottle, tear tough objects, or hold something when your hands are occupied is bad. Your teeth were not designed to be a multipurpose tool, and over-utilization of the teeth causes cracking and chipping.
If you are guilty of one of the habits above, then it is likely that your dental health is already in danger. Please visit your nearest dentist in Cypress today before any small issue grows into a serious problem.