Avoiding Bad Dental Habits
At some point during your life, it is highly likely that you will pick up bad oral habits or become complacent in our daily oral regimen.
We never stop to consider the short-term or long-term effects on our overall oral health, or even consider the level in which we are diminishing that dazzling smile of ours.
Within this article, we are reviewing some of the worst habits one can adopt, including the ones that have the most damaging results on your smiles and degenerative effects on our oral health.
Tobacco
We all know that smoking in general depletes the level of our overall health because of the cancer causing properties in cigarettes, but those same properties are in all forms of commercially sold tobacco products.
Whether you are smoking cigarettes, pipes, chewing and/or dipping those same properties still exist. Tobacco stains your teeth, diminishes the density of your jaw bone(s) and significantly increases your risk of developing oral (as well as other forms) cancer.
This is one bad habit that should be avoided at all cost, and discontinued immediately.
The Wrong Brush Technique
One of the most common mistakes that we all make in our oral care regimen is using a toothbrush that has hard bristles or applying the brush too hard while using it.
It is a general consensus in our modern society that more is better; but in this particular instance it is a proven fact that less is best (i.e. softer bristles and/or a softer touch throughout the process of brushing).
A soft bristled brush is far better for the enamel of your teeth than the hard bristles which tend to scratch the tooth’s surface, as well as wearing away the enamel with extended use.
Modern dentists will usually advise that you use a soft bristled brush and apply moderate pressure, behind a circular motion, two or three times a day; as opposed to hard bristles and/or a vigorous brushing technique. Most dentists will also advise that you be conscientious in your choice of toothpaste by choosing one that is not overly abrasive or that contains harsh additives used for whitening.
Medications, Clenching, Grinding, and Dry Mouth
Another constant irritant that can cause excessive damage to your mouth is clenching your jaw and/or grinding your teeth. This may be something you do as a reaction to stress, or in your sleep, or it can even result from certain life behaviors such as the necessary medications you take; both in the forms of over-the-counter and doctor prescribed.
It is a known fact that most medications have their own individual brand of unwarranted side-effects. Those side-effects may come in the forms singularly or combined as unbalanced metabolism, unnatural chemical levels, and induce adverse effects like extreme dry mouth. You may even experience some form or type of behavioral changes; such as clenching your jaws and/or grinding your teeth.
In any case, no matter the initial cause, the end result of obsessive jaw clenching and/or teeth clenching is an elevated risk of cracked enamel, jaw pain, misaligned jaw-set, chipped teeth, as well as an eventual loss of your normal teeth. Just as an overly dry mouth allows excessive plaque to build up as well as elevating your risk of skin tears in the soft tissue and abnormal irritations.
If you feel that your medication(s) are the culprit, you may initially want to consult with your pharmacists or your doctor for an alternative solution. If you feel that your condition is brought about by stress, or that this is a normal behavior for you during sleep then of course a medication change isn’t a plausible answer for finding relief; but there are still options and serviceable solutions available.
You can consult your dentist about obtaining a specially fitted oral appliance that is designed to provide protection for your teeth during sleep and/or those particular stress induced moments.
Pediatric Concerns
Although it is very common for a high number of toddlers to suck their thumb, it is also a behavior that should generally be outgrown by early childhood.
Childhood psychologists say that thumb-sucking is a perfectly normal behavior that usually comes as a by-product of the bottle-cup transition. That is why under ‘normal’ development small children are expected to and usually do out-grow this practice.
If a child doesn’t show progress in relinquishing the practice of thumb-sucking, after an extended period of time it could have an adverse effect on the future of their permanent tooth growth and gum development. This is by means of abnormal tooth alignment, misshapen gums, and/or alter the roof of their mouth.
In the child’s best interest, if you feel that an excessive amount of time has elapsed, you may want to consult your pediatrician. They can offer solutions that will delay future oral problems for them and expense for you, without compromising the emotional development or security of your child.
You will find that early on, during the formative years is the ideal time to set the precedence for developing a great oral care foundation.
Hard Objects and Using Your Teeth as Tools
It is just as much a common practice now, as it has been for years, that we still liberally eat a remarkable amount of things that are damaging to our teeth, and we also still too often use our teeth as tools for an indefinite amount of purposes.
Crunching things such as ice, and/or hard candy are some of the most common things we eat that punishes our teeth and raises our chances of damage. Not only does the hard candy or ice run the risk of cutting gums and elevate the risk of infection, it also poses the threat of nerve damage from excessive pressure, excessive temperatures, and/or broken teeth along with undue wear and tear on the enamel and surface.
The same goes with using our teeth as tools. From cracking a nut, to opening a drink bottle, to stripping wire – your teeth are not designed to tolerate this kind of repetitive abuse and/or withstand that kind of pressure. The end result may be irreparable damage that can sometimes eventually result in tooth loss and the need of restorative dentistry.
Unnecessary Oral Risk
Another big unnecessary risk that we subject ourselves to is nail biting and/or chewing foreign objects such as pens, pencils, etc. Everything and everyone carries a cornucopia of bacteria – on the surface and/or under their fingernails. Bacteria runs rampant in today’s world, so every time we bite a fingernail, or put any foreign object in our mouth, we are subjecting ourselves to risk.
Staph is one of the biggest culprits, as it is generally on everything we touch. We all carry it plentifully under and around our nails, and it may or may not be a strain that is responsive to available antibiotics. In addition to the risk of bacteria, we also run the risk of contracting infections from multiple forms of viruses that we have contacted with and various types of fungus that may be clinging to the surfaces of objects we touch.
This bacteria, virus, and/or fungus can just as easily set up as an infection in your mouth. This is because it can enter your system by means of the mucus membranes or by being swallowed.
Sugars
Although sugar may taste good to you, it is definitely not good for you. Another very unnecessary risk is the intake of sugars that we subject ourselves too. We eat and drink sugars freely in our modern diets. These elevated levels of sugar put our oral health and welfare at risk and they are generally unhealthy on a complete grand scale pertaining to our overall general health.
That is a concept that the dental associations and the medical world has been preaching to us for years.
Directly, sugar promotes tooth decay on every level and if we absolutely insist on partaking in this indulgence then we must be more diligent in our oral routine if we intend to retain the luxury of a beautiful natural smile.
Consulting Your Dentist
If you have any reason to question the level of your oral health we implore you to consult your dentist or your oral healthcare provider. Modern dentistry is better than ever and there is no issue too small to ask help from your dentist. Your dentist is there for all of your oral health concerns and will do their best to get you your dream smile.