Habits That Trash Your Teeth

Our teeth are tough customers, but some things we humans do are so destructive, even our teeth can’t take it. Everyone is guilty of at least a couple of these habits, but it’s best if you can break them!

Your pals at Gentle Dental want to enlighten you to just what you may be doing to your teeth.

Bad habits that are killing your teeth

• Chewing ice — Ice may not have sugar, but it’s far from harmless. Chewing it can chip or crack your teeth. It also irritates the soft tissue inside the tooth, causing toothaches.
• Bottle in the crib — Think putting a bottle of formula or juice in your baby’s crib is a good way to help him or her fall asleep? Wrong. He or she may fall asleep with the bottle in their mouth, bathing the teeth in sugars overnight.
• Grinding your teeth — Everyone knows grinding your teeth is bad for them: they literally grind down. Often people don’t know they do it, but usually we can see the signs at Gentle Dental. Wearing a mouthguard at night is the solution.
• Gummy candy — These tasty little bears and fish stick in the teeth and keep the sugar, and acids from the bacteria that eat the sugar, in contact with your teeth. If you must eat them, it’s best to do it with a meal.
• Sodas — Sure you know the sugar in sodas can lead to dental decay, but they also contain phosphoric and citric acids. These are corrosives that eat away at the enamel protecting your teeth.
• Your teeth, the opener — Know a friend who revels in opening beer bottles with his teeth? Don’t emulate him, as you can chip or crack your teeth very easily.
• Fruit juice — Look for fruit juices that are 100% juice. Otherwise, there is often as much sugar in it as in soda.
• Constant snacking — When you eat a full mean, your mouth produces more saliva than when you briefly snack. The lack of saliva when you eat a snack means that food bits can stay in your teeth for hours. If you need a snack, opt for something low in sugar and starch, like carrots.
• Cigarette smoking — Cigarettes can stain your teeth and cause them to fall out as a result of periodontitis. As if that weren’t enough, tobacco also leads to cancer of the mouth, lips, and tongue.

Time for your next checkup, maybe to deal with the consequences of one of these habits? Call us at Gentle Dental, (732) 549-5660.