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A Family Dentist Gives 6 Tips to Stop Habits That Hurt Your Teeth

A family dentist is not just there to give you a teeth cleaning and send you home with a toothbrush. We care about the well-being of each and every patient. Keeping your teeth healthy and strong is our top priority.

Not everyone may know that some habits hurt your teeth. Even simple actions that might seem innocent have the ability to harm teeth.

Six tips to stop habits that hurt your teeth

1. Crunching on ice

Unfortunately, this common habit does more damage than you might think. Ice is a hard substance. Mix that with extreme cold, and you have a recipe for disaster for teeth. The cold of ice can actually harden teeth when it comes into contact with your molars. Teeth that are hardened are more susceptible to fractures. The action of crunching down on a hard object once it has been cooled almost guarantees that damage will occur.

As you can see, chewing on ice is no innocent action. Talk to a family dentist today to kick the habit and avoid further damage to your teeth.

2. Chewing on hard objects

A habit for many, the constant chewing and biting on hard objects can put the teeth in a bad place. This includes anything from crunching a toothpick to biting on jewelry.

Toothpicks, for example, can splinter off into many pieces and get stuck in the gums or between teeth. The saliva in our mouth can break it down, but only a little. This leaves room for possible infection of the gums.

Jewelry made from metal can weaken tooth structure and cause tiny fractures to happen. Chewing on something other than food is never a good idea.

3. Using your teeth as a tool

Our teeth are strong, but not unbreakable. Although the hardness of our teeth rivals steel, this simply means that the teeth cannot be scratched by metal, but they can be chipped.

Ripping open packages with your front teeth can loosen teeth if done repeatedly. Even once is bad for the teeth, especially the front ones. A common party trick is opening a beer bottle with teeth. This can break a tooth almost immediately.

4. Grinding teeth

Bruxism is a condition where an individual grinds their teeth unconsciously, usually during sleep. This constant contact between teeth wears down the enamel and causes problems and pain in the jaw joint. Grinding teeth is sometimes accompanied by clenching throughout the day. Both these actions wreak havoc on the teeth and jaw and can even cause tiny fractures to form, which extend into the center of a tooth.

5. Using tobacco products

Smoking is not only bad for whole body health, but it is also extremely harmful to teeth. Tobacco products, like dip or cigarettes, have been proven to cause a sharp increase in cavities.

6. Eating sticky, sugary foods

Caramels are a family dentist's worst nightmare. The combination of cavity-causing sugar with a food that is designed to stick to teeth is a perfect storm for tooth decay.

Skipping a trip to the family dentist for a cleaning is never a good idea. Make your teeth health a priority, and let us help you build a strong, beautiful smile.