Having healthy teeth is not only important to your overall appearance but your oral health contributes to your overall well being. Here are 12 things you can avoid to maintain and/or achieve better oral health.
- Sugary Foods and Drinks
Food and drinks that are sugary promote an environment that is conducive to the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease.
- Lack of Water
A dry mouth is the worst environment for decay, allowing the bacteria to multiply and preventing saliva from buffering the acids they make.
- Nail Biting
Habits like nail biting can cause excessive wear and chipping of the front teeth.
- Heavy Brushing
Using anything other than a soft toothbrush will cause erosion and unnecessary wear of the teeth.
- Acidic Foods and Beverages
Acidic foods and beverages dissolve tooth structure and also promote an environment that promotes the harmful bacteria in the oral cavity.
- Neglecting Baby Teeth
Primary teeth are essential to maintaining the space and relationships needed to ensure proper development and eruption of the permanent teeth.
- Using Your Teeth as Tools
Using your teeth to open bobby pins, beer bottles or to bite string, etc. can chip teeth and cause excessive wear.
- Thumb Sucking
Prolonged thumb sucking beyond the age of 4 can result in a narrow arch form, protrusion of the permanent front teeth and orthodontic problems in general.
- Smoking
Smoking not only is related to oral cancer, but constricts peripheral blood vessels and contributes to periodontal disease.
- Chewing Ice
Chewing ice leads to cold sensitivity and cracked teeth.
- Grinding
Grinding (or bruxism) causes excessive wear, fractured teeth and contributes to jaw joint problems.
- Failure to Wear Athletic Guards
Engaging in contact sports while not wearing the appropriate athletic mouth guard can lead to quite severe traumatic injuries to the teeth including tooth loss.
If you have questions, please ask us about any of these issues the next time you are in the office or in the meantime, you can contact me or the staff at my office, Dr. Laurence Stone in Doylestown, PA.
We’re always here to help.
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