Your teeth go through a lot but if you look after them properly, they may remain strong and healthy for your lifetime. However, many of us have damaging habits that put our teeth at risk. So what should you avoid if you want healthy white teeth?
1. Smoking
Smoking is just all-round bad for you. It contains carcinogens, it pollutes the air and it causes offensive odors and stains to your mouth and teeth. But while lots of people focus on how smoking affects your lungs, your mouth and teeth are also at serious risk of infections including gum disease inflammation of the salivary glands in your mouth and increased loss of bone in the jaw. The best advice? Stop smoking now.
2. Dark liquids – red wine, coffee, tea
Though most dark liquids like red wine, tea and coffee are fine in modest quantities, drinking too much can cause your teeth to discolor, turning them yellow or even darker. The key is to make sure that you brush your teeth regularly, especially after drinking these particular drinks to limit the amount of possible staining.
3. Teeth grinding
Many people don’t realize that they are grinding their teeth or clenching their jaw because they are often asleep when it happens. Grinding your teeth can cause headaches, stiffness in your jaw and, if left untreated, can even wear down your teeth. As this problem is usually caused by stress or anxiety, it is definitely worth seeking help to improve your mental health as well as applying a gum shield to protect your teeth in the meantime.
4. Chewing non-food items: pencils, fingernails
Your teeth are there to start breaking down food in order to make digestion easier and chewing items that are not broken down easily can cause real problems for your teeth. This form of chewing puts a lot of pressure on your teeth which can ultimately lead to them getting broken, pushed out of place, and worn down.
5. Chewing ice cubes
Ice might be perfectly edible, but again, chewing a hard substance is not a good idea for your teeth. Big ice cubes are a real challenge for your teeth and the pressure combined with the cold is not a good idea. The rule here is that if your blender needs a special blade – you shouldn’t be trying to chew it!
6. Forgetting to floss
Your teeth have 5 surfaces that need to be cleaned but your toothbrush can only reach 3. Using floss is the best way to get in between your teeth to remove any sticky plaque and bacteria caught there. Though you might not see any immediate results as you do when you brush, flossing is the best way to ensure the health of the whole tooth, not just the surface area you can see.
7. Skipping nightly brushing
Overnight, you produce less saliva to wash away any bacteria which are then able to multiply twice as fast! You should be brushing twice a day, and before bedtime crucial to your oral health.
To book your next dentist appointment now, call (763) 682-9796.
Image credit: ValentynVolkov / iStock / Getty Images Plus