You can be brushing your teeth after every meal, opting for diet soda instead of the regular one and avoid sugary foods to a great extent. But that does not mean that these are enough to protect your oral health.
There are many things that people think to be healthy and good practices in their day-today life but they are far from the same in reality. In fact, research has revealed that almost 95 percent of us do things that are actually wrong for our oral health.
In this article, an attempt is being made to bring forth some of these habits that can wreak havoc on your oral health, but you are still doing them without even being aware of the potential harm they are causing. Just read on.
- Having Sugar Meals throughout the Day – The volume and frequency of sugar intake pose a great problem for your oral health as it may cause decay. Acids are released when you consume sugary foods leading to cavities and decay. The worst thing, in this case, is to take periodical sips of sugary drinks like that of flavored water, juice, squash or fizzy drinks throughout the day or munching on the sugary snacks throughout the day. The acid pH level frequency goes below 5.5 when you do that. If you consume a bag full of chips all at once then this will happen just once. This acid attack occurs whenever you eat sugary products and you can have more than 4 or 5 acid attacks when you consume the sugary eatables or liquids throughout the day. So, it is better to consume any of these just after the meal instead of going for them throughout the day.
- Brushing too Vigorously – Brushing the teeth is healthy but brushing too hard can reverse the process for you. Your gums can be worn down by pushing too hard. This can give rise results to gum recession that can take a serious turn if you don’t address it and can lead to gum disease or tooth loss.
- Using the Teeth as Tools – Most of us have this common habit of twisting off bottle caps or opening up bags of chips with our teeth. Using the teeth in place of a bottle opener or a pair of scissors can sound convenient to most of us but that can harm the teeth and can land one up in the chair of the Dentist In New York dentist. This way you can crack your teeth or even damage a filling or crown when using the back teeth for doing these tasks. This can lead to a broken tooth that can call for tooth extraction and even replacements with dental implants.
- Nibbling on Ice Cubes – In order to stave off hunger pangs, many dieters chew on the ice cubes. After all, they are calorie and sugar-free. But the issue lies in the fact that these are too hard for your teeth to handle especially when done on a regular basis. Moreover, it is also not healthy for the mouth to be plunged regularly in such icy temperatures. So, shun that and pick up some sugarless gums or raw veggies instead. Celery, carrots or fruits are also great options. But you should brush after eating them as they contain high amounts of sugar.
- Not Drinking Sufficient Water – You may not consider water to have as many implications for your oral health as for the other parts of the body. But unfortunately, it does. If you don’t consume an ample amount of water, it can lead to dehydration and hence saliva production and flow reduce. This inevitably leads to bad breath. You usually stop producing saliva when you are asleep that has anti-decay properties. So, if you eat something before bed and don’t brush the teeth then that causes issues for the teeth.
- Drinking Tea or Coffee Frequently – These are necessary for their anti-oxidants and caffeine. But when you consume them too frequently that can have negative implications on your teeth. You should also avoid sweetener or sugar when you are drinking coffee or tea too much as that enhances the damage further.
- Tongue, Lip or Cheek Piercings – The facial piercings can be trendy when young but the impact they have on the oral health is far from being so. The ring piercings or the studs can create complications like bleeding, infection and swelling of the tongue and the adjacent tissues. Chronic injury can be caused to the mucosa which is the inside of the cheeks, lips and taste buds along with gum recession and tooth injury because of the piercings. So, people heading for piercings or those who have already opted for it should talk with their dentist regarding the best practices to avoid oral issues, in this case.
The above are some of the things that pose threats to our pearly whites and the oral health in major ways. You may have to go for frequent tooth cavity treatment and other oral treatments if you continue with these habits. So now that you know them you should try to avoid them so that you can have strong teeth and great oral health for years to come.
