Hopefully, you know now that brushing and flossing your teeth every day is essential to maintaining the health of your teeth. Dental issues like tooth decay and gum disease typically stem from poor dental hygiene, and if not attended to, either illness can lead to dire consequences for your oral health. However, even if your oral hygiene is top-notch, things you do throughout your day can undermine your efforts and still harm your teeth and gums. Today, we explore some of these habits and how they can damage your teeth and gums if left unchecked.
Chewing on Ice
Ice is only frozen water, so it must not be too harmful for your teeth, right? Wrong. Even though ice won’t cause cavities, chewing on it can chip, crack, or severely fracture your teeth. For some people, ice-chomping is a habit, and sometimes goes unnoticed. If you get a craving to break ice between your teeth, try chewing on sugar-less gum, instead.
Playing Sports without a Mouthguard
Football, hockey, martial arts, and other contact sports are a great way for family and friends to get together, blow off steam, and have a great time. Yet, a great time can quickly turn into an emergency if a tooth gets broken or knocked out. Be sure to wear a mouthguard during any sports activities to protect your teeth from traumatic injury. You can buy a self-fitting mouthguard at your local sporting goods store, or have one custom-made at your dentist’s office.
Constantly Grinding Your Teeth
Although many people grind or clench their teeth during moments of stress or anxiety, some people do so constantly and may not realize it. In fact, the habit of bruxism often occurs at night, making it almost impossible to notice. If left untreated, bruxism can lead to severe dental issues, including severely worn or cracked teeth, TMJ disorder, malocclusion, and more. A sleep guard, similar to a sports mouthguard, is often prescribed to prevent the damage from habitual bruxism.
Learn More About How to Protect Your Teeth
If you’re harming your teeth without realizing it, then your dentist can point it out and recommend appropriate ways to stop. To learn more, call Syosset Dental in Syosset, NY today at 516-433-2211 or 516-921-1678.
