Bad Habits to Avoid If You Want Healthy Teeth and Gums

March 27, 2024

As humans, we are regularly developing habits, whether good or bad. Unfortunately, bad habits are quite common, and a lot of them are formed unintentionally. Many times, we develop habits that aren't good for us without even being aware of it, and often these habits can cause problems, pain, and cost a lot of money to correct.

Being proactive is the best approach if you want to keep your teeth for your lifetime, so make it your mission to practice excellent oral hygiene, have routine dental visits, and create good oral habits. Here are eight habits to avoid if you want a healthier smile.

If you are always biting your nails, your oral health will pay the price. Not only are you spreading harmful bacteria that hang out under your nails, biting non-edible items like fingernails can crack, fracture, or chip your teeth, and even hurt your jaw over time.

Scouring your chompers with harsh strokes can leave them hurting instead of clean and healthy. Rough handling can wear down tooth enamel and irritate the gums, which can ultimately cause receding the gums, exposing the layer of dentin below.

If you are constantly clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth (awake or asleep), it can damage your teeth and jaw. This habit is called bruxism, and it often arises from unrelieved stress. It wears down enamel leaving teeth and makes them vulnerable to decay. You may also find yourself with painful jaw or joint pain, or even fractured or chipped teeth.

Whether you continually snack or sip sweetened beverages throughout the day, both can hurt your teeth. And it's not just coating your teeth in sugar that can lead to cavities. Snacking on chips and carbohydrate-filled goodies feed your mouth's harmful oral bacteria, resulting in plaque buildup and tartar that can harm your gums.

Regularly alcohol consumption increases plaque levels in your mouth that ultimately leads to tooth loss. Since alcohol acts as a diuretic, it can reduce saliva flow (which can result in dry mouth).

Chomping on ice cubes might feel good on a hot day, but your teeth are not designed for it. This habit can lead to cracks and chips in your teeth. Both your teeth and ice are crystals, so the effect of rubbing them together can cause tooth damage, even potentially damaging dental fillings.

A tobacco habit not only stains your teeth but inflames your salivary glands so they can't perform correctly. As if that wasn't bad enough, smoking leads to bad breath, gum disease, increased loss of jaw bone density, and oral cancer.

Your teeth are not tools! Do not use them to tear off tags, open a bag of chips or hold your pen.