Maintaining a healthy smile can be a real challenge. Keeping up with proper oral hygiene and the dental visits necessary to maintain oral health is essential, but you also need to avoid harmful habits. You’d be surprised by how much of an impact seemingly minor changes can have on your dental health.

Habits that are harming your teeth.

These harmful habits could be keeping you from a beautiful, healthy smile. Watch out for these in your life and take action to cut them out or seek advice from your dentist.

1. Nail-Biting

Nail-biting does a lot more than mar your manicure. Your nails are harder than you might realize, and persistently biting away at them can affect your healthy smile. You could find yourself with chipped or cracked teeth over time.

What could be even more serious is the risk of introducing foreign bacteria to your mouth. While a healthy mouth still has plenty of naturally occurring bacteria, introducing new strains can increase your risk of infection.

2. Chewing Ice

Ice cubes are often in drinks of all kinds, but most people don’t realize how harmful chewing ice can be. Ice is meant to melt in your drink over time, not to be chewed on. While this might seem perfectly natural, it can be very harmful to your teeth.

Ice is incredibly hard. While your jaw has the strength to crack ice cubes open, it can do lasting damage to your teeth or dental work, like crowns and fillings. Chewing ice is one of the worst things you can do to your teeth.

3. Opening Packaging

Have you ever struggled with a stubborn bottle or other plastic packaging? Many people are quick to turn to their teeth as a handy tool for gripping and ripping packaging. However, you could find yourself with serious oral health issues.

Trying to twist open a bottle with your teeth exerts excessive pressure that can cause cracks or chips. It can also wear away enamel over time. Ripping softer plastic packaging is also a bad idea, as it exerts forces at strange angles on your teeth.

4. Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)

Many people grind their teeth subconsciously or in their sleep, a condition called bruxism. This can steadily wear away enamel and leave your teeth more susceptible to tooth decay. Not only that, but it can also contribute to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) issues and jaw pain. Treating the underlying issue can help, and night guards from your dentist can protect your smile.

5. Slowly Sipping Drinks

Are you the kind of person who sips on coffee, tea, or other drinks for hours on end? If so, you could be doing lasting harm to your smile. When you eat or drink something over a short period, you provide a brief spike in energy for bacteria in your mouth. However, their activity fades fairly quickly.

If you’re sipping your drink over a longer period, you provide a constant source of energy for bacteria. They continue to produce acids that weaken enamel, contributing to tooth decay and cavities.

6. Harsh Brushing

Some people try brushing harder or faster to save time. However, you could be doing more harm than good and wearing away enamel. Instead, take the time to brush thoroughly and properly while staying gentle. If you have an electric toothbrush, a good way to think of it is to let the toothbrush do the work, which means you don’t need to apply pressure or scrub your teeth. 

7. Using Abrasive Whiteners

Some whitening products include abrasive materials to wear away stains. However, if they’re too abrasive, they’ll also wear away enamel. Stick with recommended whitening products from your dentist, which will provide a more effective result.

8. Eating Crumbly Treats

You likely know about the impact of sugary treats, but what about crumbly treats? Crackers, chips, and other foods that crumble leave behind tiny pieces of food in your mouth for bacteria to feast on. Make sure to drink plenty of water with and after snacks to flush away the particles and avoid this issue.

9. Drinking Acidic Drinks

There’s more than just sugar to worry about in drinks. Beverages like coffee, tea, soda, juice, and even sugar-free carbonated water have high acid levels that directly impact your teeth. This acid can wear away your enamel over time, increasing tooth sensitivity and making your teeth more prone to cracks, chips, and cavities.

10. Skipping Routine Checkups

Do you remember the last time you visited the dentist? If it’s been over six months, you’re due for a routine checkup and teeth cleaning. Keeping up with these regular visits helps ensure that potential issues don’t get out of hand, preventing tooth decay and gum disease.

Get proactive about protecting your smile.

Do any of these habits sound like you? It’s not too late to take action and commit to lasting dental health. Along with making lifestyle changes, you can also take advantage of various cosmetic dentistry treatments to enhance and restore your smile. Schedule a consultation at Luminous Smiles for your personalized treatment plan.