When it comes to oral health, we all have our share of bad dental habits. Some of us may not brush enough, or we don’t see the dentist as often as we should. But there are other habits that can negatively affect our dental health that we may not even realize are bad.
Are you or your family members guilty of any of these?
Smoking: Possibly the most obvious bad habit (for oral health and health in general), smoking causes a great deal of damage. Some of these include teeth discolouration, bad breath, gum disease and oral cancer. But there are lesser known problems as well, such as loss of bone density in the jaw, inflamed salivary glands, tooth loss, and painful lesions in the mouth. If you’re looking to improve your health and quit smoking, talk to your doctor for effective options.
Thumb Sucking: Thumb-sucking would usually be thought of as a child’s habit. But it turns out that many adults are also guilty of this particular bad habit. However, thumb-sucking as an adult doesn’t do a great deal of damage, other than being unsanitary. For children and adolescents, on the other hand, thumb sucking can cause teeth to misalign, force adult teeth to grow in crooked, and affect the facial muscles and bone structure that are developing at those ages. Luckily most children do grow out of this habit, but if it persists with your own child there are methods proven to work.
Grinding Teeth: Do you grind your teeth at night? It may not seem like a bad oral health habit, but it actually is. Grinding can erode the tooth enamel, and also fracture or break teeth. It also causes problems with the jaw, which can be quite painful. Mouth guards can help, as can massage therapy.
Biting Nails: When you bite your nails, or any other non-food item, you run the risk of chipping or cracking a tooth. That same risk goes for using your teeth as a tool to open packages, rip through bags, etc. But nail biting also invites harmful bacteria into your mouth that can cause sickness. If you or a family member has a habit of biting your nails, there are a few options to try, such as bad-tasting nailpolish.
Sugar-filled Drinks: Sugary drinks like pop and some juices should only be consumed in moderation. For those that are drinking sugar-filled drinks throughout the day, you are causing plaque production at a much higher rate than usual. This is because the bacteria in our mouths thrives on sugar – and the more plaque your mouth produces, the more tartar is created, which can cause tooth decay. Try switching some of your sugary drinks for a healthy glass of water. Your mouth will thank you.
Not flossing: Did you know that brushing alone only can reach about two-thirds of the surface of your teeth? That leaves quite a bit of room for plaque and tartar to live and cause cavities and decay. That’s why flossing is so important – it gets the hard-to-reach food particles between the teeth that toothbrushes just can’t get. And yet only 28% of Canadians are flossing at least five times each week. That means a lot of the population is guilty of this bad habit. If you’re one of them, try to schedule a few minutes every day to floss, and help prevent gum disease and cavities.
Of course, another bad habit is not seeing your dentist regularly. Let us help you break that habit, as well as the others listed here. Contact Southeast Dental in Markham today to book your next appointment and get you on the right track with positive, healthy dental habits you can smile about.