Everyday Habits That Promote Tooth Decay
Our teeth are one of the most fragile parts
of our body: most damage done to them cannot be reversed and has to be
mended by a dentist. Teeth are sensitive to changes in temperature,
certain foods, and even the slightest pressure during brushing can lead
to enamel damage.
Apart from their role in digestion,
straight, white and healthy teeth are, in many ways, about beauty, as we
instinctively associate beautiful teeth with health. Still, maintaining
our pearly whites can be difficult, and sometimes, we can’t put a
finger on what’s causing a dental problem, be it discoloration, cavities
or gum problems. To make things easier for our readers, we made a list
of 11 everyday habits that could be the ones ruining your smile. I know
I’m definitely guilty of a few of these myself, particularly drinking
coffee and not choosing the right kind of mouthwash.
1. Taking Vitamins In Gummy Form Promotes Tooth Decay
If something tastes like candy, it’s probably bad for your teeth, even
if it’s marketed to be good for you. Yes, we’re talking about the
multitude of vitamins and supplements sold for both kids and adults in
gummy form.
Though these vitamins are fun, colorful,
and beneficial to your nutritional needs, many dentists point out that
they’re one of the worst things you could do to your oral health, as
parts of the sweet gummy can get stuck between your teeth and provide
excellent nutrition to different bacteria, including those that cause
cavities and gum disease.
Luckily, you can easily fix this problem by simply brushing your teeth
after chewing on the gummy vitamin. Another alternative is, of course,
to switch to traditional vitamins packaged in capsule or pill form.
2. Biting Nails Affects Your Enamel, Teeth
& Jaw
It is definitely true that biting your nails can cause split nails, but
did you know that it can affect your teeth as well?
In mild cases, biting your nails will make the enamel, the outermost
protective coating of your teeth, crack and splinter, which provides an
entryway for bacteria and can promote cavities. Furthermore, the teeth
of patients that constantly bite their nails can sometimes shift over
time, which creates an unsightly gap between the teeth.
In severe cases, nail-biting was even associated with jaw pain and
headaches caused by jaw tension, so biting your nails is definitely more
serious than it may seem at first glance.
3. Snacking too Often Increases the Risk of Cavities
Eating small meals often is beneficial for
weight loss and general digestive health, but dentists caution that
doing it too often may make you more likely to develop cavities.
This is because eating increases the pH level in your mouth and creates a
more acidic environment in the mouth, which remains for another 20-30
minutes after you eat until your saliva neutralizes it. An acidic
environment is bad for your teeth, as it was linked to tooth decay.
4. Drinking Sparkling Water can Make your Teeth Sensitive
All carbonated beverages, be it soda, sparkling water or sparkling wine
can affect your tooth health. Though unsweetened drinks may be less
damaging than soda, they are still worse for your teeth than regular
water because it creates an acidic environment that leads to
demineralization, a process during which your tooth enamel breaks down.
An absence or lack of teeth enamel, in turn, can lead to discoloration,
staining, and cavities.
5. Smoking Can Stain Your Teeth & Promote Cavities
We’re all aware of the adverse effects of
smoking on respiratory and heart health, but smoking can also be a
threat to your oral health, affecting your teeth, mouth, and gums.
Dentists point out that both the soft tissues and teeth can be affected
by smoking, with smokers being more likely to have yellow, stained
teeth, gum problems and recurrent infections.
6. Brushing Your Teeth Immediately After a Meal May Fracture Your Enamel
As we discussed above, your teeth are more vulnerable to damage right
after you eat because of the acidic environment in the oral cavity. If
you brush your teeth right after eating, you’re more likely to cause
micro fractures in the enamel, especially if you already brush your
teeth too harshly.
Instead, wait for at least 30 minutes after a meal before brushing your
teeth.
7. Drinking Wine & Coffee Can Stain Your Teeth
Anything capable of staining your clothes can also stain your teeth:
coffee, wine, soda, tea, balsamic vinegar, fruit juices, and even tomato
sauce can all alter the color of your teeth. Dark-colored drinks are
the first ones to blame, of course.
For example, red wine contains a lot of tannins that, despite being
excellent antioxidants, can stain your teeth. Sadly, the more pigmented
beverages are not the only ones to blame, as even white wine or rose, as
well as herbal teas, contain fruit acids capable of discoloring the
teeth.
A special mention goes to lemon water or
other citrus-infused drinks. Though an occasional splash of lemon juice
won’t affect your teeth, drinking highly-acidic drinks like lemon water,
vinegar detox drinks and even tomato juice can deteriorate your tooth
enamel.
Luckily, minimizing the damage is easy: it’s enough to rinse your mouth
with water after you had one of these drinks. This will restore the pH
and should get rid of the pigmented ingredients.
8. Using a Mouthwash Containing Alcohol can Increase the Likelihood of
an Infection
Many mouthwash varieties contain alcohol, which can dry out your mouth
and gums, wipe out the healthy bacteria that live in your mouth and,
therefore, promotes infection. And though the sensation of dryness can
feel satisfying at first, ultimately, it wreaks havoc in the mouth.
This doesn’t mean, however, that all mouthwashes are bad, as a good
mouthwash can help saturate your teeth with fluoride (that helps fight
cavities), plus it keeps your breath fresher throughout the day.
To choose the right kind of mouthwash, opt for the alcohol-free
varieties and those that contain xylitol, an ingredient capable of
stimulating the oh-so-necessary saliva production.
9. Whitening Products Can Wear Away Your Enamel
As it is the case with acidic drinks, harsh, over-the-counter
toothpastes, whitening strips or pastes can damage your enamel, which
may make your teeth look whiter at first, but will also make them look
worse in the long run.
This is because by wearing off the enamel, it exposes the next layer of
the tooth, the dentin, which, even when healthy, has a yellow tint to
it. Remineralizing the enamel is a very long and difficult process, and
your enamel may never fully restore.
All of this doesn’t mean that all whitening products are bad, but rather
that you should be very careful with teeth-whitening products,
especially when you decide to use them without professional oversight.
10. Storing Toothbrushes In a Cabinet or Drawer Exposes You to Infection
Do you store your toothbrushes stashed deep in a container, a drawer or a bathroom cabinet to protect
them from all the nasty germs flying around in the bathroom? If germ
protection is your major concern, you might want to reconsider your
decision, as it turns out that storing your toothbrush in a closed
container may lead to more bacteria on your toothbrush.
According to the recommendations by the American Dental Association, you
should store your toothbrush in an upright container so that it is
exposed to the open air. This will let it dry freely and minimize
bacterial growth, because a dry and clean toothbrush is equal to a
healthy mouth and teeth.
11. Using Your Teeth As a Tool Can Damage Them Without You Knowing It
This last habit is very popular and just as
equally dangerous. Just imagine, it’s a hot summer day, you’re thirsty,
and decide to buy yourself a bottle of water. No matter how much you
try, it just won’t open, so you have no choice but to resort to
“helping” yourself out a bit with your teeth, because why not?
Well, needless to say, this is not a recipe for success, at least when
your teeth are concerned. Even if you think that nothing had happened to
your teeth and you don’t see or feel any fractures, you could have
caused a micro fracture that made your teeth so much more susceptible to
cavities and breakage in the future.
Fractures like these can even hurt your jawbone or cause receding gums.
Save yourself a trip to the dentist and use a more suitable tool, or
simply ask for help.