We have written a lot about healthy dental habits: brushing your teeth, flossing regularly, and seeing your dentist at least twice a year for regular cleanings and checkups. But what about the things you shouldn’t be doing to your chompers? Here is a list of bad dental habits that you may be guilty of:
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Crunching, Sucking, and Sipping
Do you enjoy crunching your ice after you finish a delicious beverage? While this might be a fun and refreshing habit, it is actually harmful to your teeth and can cause them to fracture. Chewing ice can cause microscopic cracks in your enamel which could lead to more serious dental problems over time.
Additionally, chewing popcorn kernels can put undue stress on a tooth and cause it to fracture. Also, if you enjoy sipping soda out a cup you are exposing your teeth to sugar and acid which can foster tooth decay. If you have to drink soda we suggest using a straw!
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Using your teeth as tools
It might be a fun party trick but dentists cringe every time they see somebody open a beer bottle using their teeth. While this might be the worst offense using your teeth to open a bag of potato chips, untie toes, straighten a bent fork or rip a price tag off a piece of clothing all put stress on your teeth.
Reach for the scissors or a tool instead of making your pearly whites do all the hard work!
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Grinding your teeth
Whether you grind your teeth during the day, while you sleep or both, it wears them down. Often teeth grinding is a nervous habit, reflecting anxiety.
Your dentist might suggest wearing a mouth guard for teeth grinding at night. Custom models can be made by your dentist cost more than the once that can be purchased over-the-counter, but they generally fit better and work better too. Sometimes, it helps to be aware of your tooth grinding and find another way to disperse the nervous energy.