There are certain things that damage our teeth that are obvious such as too many sugary snacks or not brushing our teeth regularly. However, there are other factors that many of us don’t take into account. Here are 7 ways that you could be destroying your teeth without even realising.
Brushing too hard
Yellow teeth might not always be a sign that you’re not brushing enough. In some cases, it can be a sign that you’re brushing too hard. Applying too much pressure with a toothbrush can erode the gums and expose the dentine beneath our enamel. This is a dull yellowish colour that can sometimes be mistaken for plaque. Another symptom of brushing too hard is bleeding gums and overly sensitive teeth. Try brushing more gently if you think you may be guilty of this – use light circles rather than vigorous back-and-forth scrubbing.
Ignoring toothache
Tooth-ache could be a sign of an infection. Small infections can usually be cured by taking antibiotics. Ignoring toothache could cause this small harmless infection to grow and possibly require a root canal procedure. It might even spread to other teeth and possibly lead to teeth having to be removed. Some dentists may have waiting lists that could cause these infections to get worse. Sites like https://www.emergencydental.com/ can be a great help for finding nearby emergency treatment centres if you don’t want to wait. Toothache might not always be an infection, but should never be ignored if it persists more than several days.
Using too much air con at night
Turning up the air conditioning at night can cause many people to get a dry mouth. Our saliva acts as a natural cleaning agent in our mouths and its absence can often lead to greater susceptibility to plaque erosion. This is the case with anything that might cause you a dry mouth (e.g. coffee, alcohol, smoking). Consider turning down the air-con and using a fan instead. It may even be a case of not having your air conditioning unit over your bed if this is where it is currently positioned.
Playing contact sports without a mouthgaurd
Wearing a gumshield is recommended in many contact sports such as hockey and martial arts. Such sports put you at a higher risk of getting your teeth damaged – such damage can be expensive to repair and lead to knock-on problems. Wearing a gumshield can be beneficial in many sports where there is a risk of damage. Molded mouthgaurds that fit the shape of your teeth are the best course of action – these are available from sites like https://www.opro.com/ Make sure that your gumshield is regularly cleaned and throw it away if it develops any cracks.
Eating ice
Eating the ice cubes from the bottom of your glass might seem like a good way of helping you to cool down, but it could be causing damaging to your teeth. Ice is very hard and can easily cause fractures in teeth. Its cold temperature can also encourage the enamel to become highly sensitive. All in all, it’s a habit that’s best abandoned.
Using your teeth as a bottle opener
Being able to open a bottle with your teeth can be a cool party trick, but it could weakening your teeth. Our teeth aren’t supposed to bit through metal (which is essentially what you’re doing) and it’s common for people to chip their teeth from opening bottles this way. If you often find yourself in drinking situations without a bottle opener, consider getting one to put on your keyring so that you’ll always be prepared.
Drinking too much lemon water
Lemon water is something you might consider to be a healthy drink. It’s certainly refreshing and leaves your mouth smelling great. However, lemon juice contains citric acid, which can corrode away at the enamel. Small amounts of lemon juice won’t do you any harm, but if you’re regularly drinking lemon water or lemon tea or lemon juice you may want to cut down the habit to protect your teeth.