Your tooth enamel is one of the strongest substances in your entire body. Most people have strong and healthy teeth, but your enamel – while strong – is not invulnerable. Your tooth enamel can deteriorate or break, and thins naturally as part of the aging process. If your tooth enamel gets damaged, it significantly increases your vulnerability to cavities and tooth decay. You can do your part by maintaining good dental care at home but also by avoiding certain habits that may compromise their teeth. Read on as Tenaglia Smiles reviews four habits that might do major damage to your teeth.
Try to refrain from these four habits
Certain habits make it more likely your teeth will sustain damage, so if you or a member of your family is engaging in any of these behaviors, stop these habits as soon as possible. Your teeth will thank you!
Nail biting can lead to tooth chipping or breaking, as well as enamel damage. Biting your nails is most likely to damage the front teeth.
Using your teeth as a tool is not what they were intended for. Reach for scissors or pliers instead. Opening even a packet of ketchup could damage your teeth, causing fractures, broken teeth or even loss of the tooth.
Chewing on pens and pencils also puts you at high risk for broken teeth. This is also one of the most common ways that existing dental restorations like fillings and crowns become damaged, which forces you to take time off work or school to have the restoration repaired or even replaced.
Chewing ice can harm teeth not just because of the hardness of the ice. The cold can weaken them and make them more susceptible to overall chipping or breaking. Chewing ice can chip teeth as well as tooth enamel, which makes you more vulnerable to significant damage to the affected tooth or teeth.
To summarize, any oral habit that involves chewing or biting something other than food can be very bad for your oral health. Your teeth only were meant to chew food, not other inanimate objects. So put down the pens, stop chomping your nails and let that ice just melt. In the meantime, follow the recommended regimen of care as advised by the American Dental Association. That includes brushing twice a day, flossing daily and visiting your dentist once every six months for a checkup that includes a cleaning and an examination of your teeth and mouth.
Preventive dental care in Okemos, Lansing and East Lansing, Michigan
Finding the right dentist to care for you and your family is important. Tenaglia Smiles offers a wide array of services to prevent and detect issues before they become serious. If you have lapsed in your schedule of twice-yearly dental visits, now represents a great time to get back on track. Tenaglia Smiles currently is accepting new patients. Find out for yourself why Dr. Christine Tenaglia has been named Okemos’ favorite dentist. Schedule a consultation today by calling (517) 347-6733 or completing our online contact form.