5 Surprisingly Harmful Habits

We are all aware of the teeth harming things your dentist warns you about, like sugary drinks, candy, wine, and coffee, etc. But, what about the things they tend not to warm you about unless they are scolding you after the damage is done? Here are 5 surprisingly harmful things that could ruin your pearly whites.

Ice

First on the list and you’re thinking, “but ice is water, there is nothing wrong with ice”. You’re right – and also wrong.  Ice’s surface is very hard and we have a tendency to bite into it when we have a chance. Biting into ice can cause trouble for our tooth enamel, or even cause a broken tooth. As they say, ice is for chilling, not chewing.

Non-food Items

Similarly to ice, we often have a tendency to use our teeth to rip open packages, and rip off tags or tape. The edges of the tooth are the most fragile part, and often the part in use when biting non-food items. They may seem like the best tool for the job because they are sharp, but doing this could cause gingivitis or a chipped tooth. Opening that bottle of brew with your teeth may be your go-to party trick, but rethink it!

Dried Fruit

Though things like dried fruit, raisins and gummy vitamins are viewed as healthy, they can be just as damaging as gummy candy on your teeth. Sticky substances that contain sugar (naturally occurring or not) sit on your tooth surface, and form acids that decay your teeth. Best practice is to rinse your mouth with water after eating or, better yet, brush your teeth.

Over-doing Brushing and Flossing

Over-doing it when it comes to brushing and flossing can do just about as much damage as choosing not to do it. Those who use a hard-bristle tooth brush, or push too hard on the teeth run the risk of wearing down their enamel and potentially causing receding gums. When flossing, use care as to not damage your gums by going too far into the gum line.

Oral Piercings

We have a whole blog post on the effects of oral piercings called Oral Piercings and Oral Health but, to sum it up – your mouth wasn’t made to carry hardware especially in the form of a tongue piercing. If you accidentally chomp down on that titanium, it could mean a chipped tooth.

If you happen to chip your tooth, we don’t judge. Stop in, or contact us to schedule a cleaning.