Did you know that brushing too much can cause harm to your teeth? You might be unaware that one or more bad oral habits like this can reduce the benefits of good oral habits. To help you with your oral care, we’ve listed the 9 worst, and sometimes unexpected, habits that could mean you need extra dental health services.
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Smoking
Among the slew of problems smoking tobacco products can cause, poor dental health is one of the first you’ll notice. The nicotine from tobacco not only causes yellow stains on your teeth and stinky breath, but it also leads to numerous oral diseases, including potentially life-threatening cancer.
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Nail biting
Nibbling on your nails can introduce harmful bacteria to your mouth and wear your teeth out. Worst of all, nail-biting pushes your lower jaws to an unnatural angle. This will put you at risk for critical oral problems, specifically temporomandibular disorder (TMD): a dental health condition that causes searing pain in your jaws. This disorder requires advanced dental services to treat.
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Not Brushing Enough
Consistently brushing your teeth removes bacteria, food particles, and plaque. This hampers the growth of bacteria in your mouth. Making brushing your teeth a regular habit in the morning and at night decreases your risk of developing oral problems like tooth decay and gum disease.
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Brushing Too Hard
They say too much of a good thing is bad for you, and this can be especially true when brushing your teeth. You might think using force will help to clean your teeth better, but brushing aggressively wears away the surface of your teeth. Done regularly, this will lead to enamel damage and gum irritation.
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Using Your Teeth as a Tool
Your teeth should only be used exclusively for eating. Using them to open packages and bottles damages the enamel and may cause chipping and cracking. Using tools like bottle openers and scissors not only makes these tasks easier, you won’t damage your teeth either.
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Eating Unhealthy Foods
Sugar, acid and starch from an unhealthy diet attracts bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. Desserts are the worst, as icing and other sugary elements tend to stick to your teeth longer. This will make you more susceptible to tooth decay and other oral issues. So, don’t hesitate to brush your teeth after you consume a sweet treat. Trust us, you’ll be doing your teeth a favour.
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Heavy Drinking
Alcohol dries out your mouth, creating a perfect breeding ground for bacteria that cause tooth decay and bad breath. Besides, alcoholic drinks are acidic and sugary and may cause the enamel on your teeth to wear away.
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Not Drinking Enough Water
Proper hydration is one of the easiest ways to keep your mouth healthy. Just by drinking water, you rinse away food particles, bacteria, and acid from your mouth. It also washes tannins and other stain-causing chemicals out of your mouth.
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Missing Your Dentist Appointments
Some people visit the dentist only when there’s a problem but you should be going to the dentist at least twice a year. Otherwise, without a regular dental check-up, you won’t know if your teeth are at risk and be able to quickly correct any problems. Also, regularly brushing and flossing can only help prevent plaque build-up. You need dental health services to remove existing plaque and calculus build-up to ensure a healthy mouth. Read this article to find more about dental check-ups.
When the Problem Already Exists
If you’re wishing you had known about these bad habits sooner, and the damage is already done, don’t worry. Thankfully Stanley St Dental offers dental health services to improve your overall oral health.
- Stained Teeth
You can achieve a brighter, more glorious smile with a Teeth Whitening treatment. It is a non-invasive procedure that significantly improves the appearance of your teeth. At Stanley St Dental, you can choose between Take-Home or In-Chair Teeth Whitening to suit your comfort and preference. Take-Home Teeth Whitening includes custom-made trays fitted to your mouth for you to use when applying whitening gel at home. In-Chair Teeth Whitening involves a dentist directly applying a special whitening gel to your teeth with a laser.
- Tooth Decay & Bad Breath
A Dental Checkup and Clean is a common dental procedure to remove tooth decay and eliminate bad breath. The first step of the treatment is scaling. Scaling removes tartar deposits, biofilm, and plaque. It is followed by prophy polishing, which removes any residual plaque and stains from your teeth. For better prevention, you can choose to get a professional fluoride application to reinforce your teeth and reduce the risk of decay and damage. Then you will be treated with professional advice to keep your dental health in tip-top shape.
- Tooth Infection
If decay has spread within a tooth, you can either get a root canal treatment or tooth extraction. A root canal treatment removes the infection if you choose to save your tooth instead of pulling it out.
Do you need any of the treatments above? You can be assured Stanley St Dental will provide optimal services. Call us today for any of your dental needs.