Surprising Habits That May Damage Your Teeth

Would you go a month without showering? What about not changing your socks for a few days? You wouldn’t do either of these things. In fact you have developed habits that ensure that you are normally clean and in clean clothes.

Habits can be wonderful things. But not all habits are good and there are many things that we do or don’t do on a daily basis that may be damaging our teeth.

Some habits we develop can be just as bad for our teeth as not showering is to our cleanliness. This is why DentArana would like to share with you some common but surprising habits, some of which might even seem harmless or positive, but can actually harm your teeth and dental health.

Don’t Misuse your Mouth

• Teeth are not tools! People use their teeth in surprising – and sometimes destructive – ways. We’ve all used our teeth as tools at some point in our lives, but did you know that you can crack or fracture your teeth if you use them improperly? In fact, cracked and fractured teeth are the third leading cause of tooth loss. So, always remember your teeth are not:
• Nutcrackers – Trying to break open a shell is a great way to crack a tooth.
• Scissors – When you try to cut something with your teeth, you are often exposing your teeth to harder surfaces than you would encounter when eating and applying an unnatural amount of pressure on your teeth that can cause them to crack or break.
• Hands – Carrying things in your mouth can lead to cracked teeth or worse. Using your mouth to carry things brings the risk of suffering a serious facial injury, or swallowing foreign objects.
• Bottle openers – You should never bite metal, or chew on metallic objects because they are much harder than your teeth and can seriously damage them.

Dental Health Habits that can turn into Negatives

Overbrushing

Some people brush more than the recommended number of times per day – especially after meals. But that extra brushing could be doing more harm than good. Brushing within half an hour of eating a meal or drinking a cup of coffee could ensure your teeth suffer worse damage.

After ingesting acidic foods or drinks (alas, include coffee on that list!), acid burns into the enamel of your teeth – and the layer below the enamel, called ‘dentin’. Brushing at the ‘wrong’ time – particularly within 30 minutes of finishing a meal – can drive the acid deeper into your teeth, causing permanent damage.

Brushing too hard

People who brush longer and harder than necessary not only fail to make their teeth cleaner but actually risk harming themselves, according to a study by experts from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne’s School of Dental Sciences and the Centre for Health Services Research.

Be Aware When You Exercise

Over-Exercising

There are links between the amount of exercise you do and your risk of cavities. Sports drinks contribute to this, but there’s a surprising element that causes bad cases of decay in the physically active: saliva. When you work out heavily the pH level in your saliva changes drastically! It becomes more alkaline and interferes with proteins in your mouth that aid its ability to fight tooth decay.

Combine that with the fact that dehydration during exercise leads to lower levels of saliva production and you have a bad combination of factors: less saliva to fight decay, and the saliva that is there isn’t doing its job properly!

The Grinding Factor

Most of us don’t realize we grind our teeth because it usually happens at night while sleeping. But did you know that many of us grind our teeth while exercising, too? As we hunker down and push ourselves to run up that steep hill or lift heavy weight, we clench our teeth. This can lead to tooth damage and chipping.

Contact Sports

Jeff Horn made all of Australia proud by winning the WBO Welterweight championship, and he did it with a smile. How? By protecting his teeth with a mouth-guard. If you intend to play contact sports, be sure to visit DentArana Dental first, and get your custom-fitted mouth-guard!

FREE Consultations at DentArana

Whatever your dental condition, your Arana Hills dentist is here to help optimize your dental health, and without pain and anxiety!

We will examine you to ensure that you are not suffering from tooth decay, infection, or gum disease. If you are, we will address those issues. Then, after we have helped you achieve your optimum level of dental health, we will talk with you about your ongoing dental health and what approach is most likely to help you keep it!

NO GAP for Exam, Clean and Scale (with any health insurance) for under 17. Only $99 for Exam, Clean and Scale (under 17’s). Free consultation for: Dental Implants, Cosmetic Dentistry, Smile Make-over, Orthodontics and Anti-wrinkle Injections.

Contact us on (07) 3351 3366 or book your appointment online today.