Blog

6 Habits You Didn’t Know Could Harm Your Pearly Whites

31 May 2017  |  No Comments

As we go through our lives, it’s inevitable that our teeth will experience some wear and tear. While it’s natural to experience some deterioration over time, there are a few habits we can avoid if we want to minimise the wear and tear on our teeth and keep our pearly whites looking their best for longer.

Here are six of the most common habits that our Marsfield dentists have identified as potentially harmful to your teeth.

Brushing-Too-Hard
  1. Biting your nails: While this might be an issue that mostly affects the appearance of your hands, most people don’t realise that nail biting can also damage your teeth and jaw. If you are not careful, too much nail biting can cause splintered enamel.
  2. Grinding your teeth: Clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth are common stress related behaviours but they can cause a number of issues with your teeth if they happen on an ongoing basis. From microfractures in your teeth to damaged dental work, clenching and grinding can be detrimental to your smile.
  3. Eating ice cubes: Ice cubes are both cold and hard and this makes them a double threat to your teeth. While crunching down on ice cubes can be satisfying on a hot day, it’s best avoided if you want to keep your teeth in top condition.
  4. Misusing your teeth in place of tools: Tempted to bite off the end of that roll of sticky tape with your teeth? Using your teeth for any purpose other than chewing food is never a good idea as it can crack and damage them. It’s far better to spend an extra few minutes finding a knife or a pair of scissors and keeping your teeth in top condition for their intended purpose.
  5. Sucking on lemons: Lemon juice is acidic and if you repeatedly expose your teeth to acidic substances it may cause erosion of your tooth enamel.
  6. Brushing too hard: While it’s important to brush your teeth thoroughly, it’s also important not to be too overenthusiastic with your toothbrush. Over zealous brushing can wear down your tooth enamel, cause cavities, irritate your gums and make your teeth extra sensitive to cold

If you want to keep your teeth looking fantastic for as long as possible, you’ll want to make sure you avoid these six habits. Regular cleaning is essential for the long-term condition of your teeth, so make sure you book in regular appointments with our Ryde dental care professionals.

If you're looking for a dentist in Sydney who takes genuine care in their work and the well-being of his or her patients, call today and let Dr Choo, Dr Ip and their friendly staff look after you, your family and those pearly whites!

"The information in this website may be simplified in nature and does not replace professional advice. Risks and consequences may apply to any treatment. Always seek a second opinion when considering complex treatment. A referral to a specialist may be required in certain situations. Quotations can only be given after proper clinical assessment and so pricing details cannot be given over the phone."