We all know that oral hygiene is important in keeping our teeth clean, healthy, and good-looking. However, for most of us, we can’t deny that we have some involuntary habits that adversely impact our oral health. Apart from the obvious damage that these bad oral health habits have on your teeth and your smile, they also bring about other effects such as loss of confidence and self-esteem.
Most of the time, you don’t even recognize that you are already rampantly doing these bad oral health habits. As such, they might bring irreparable damage because of their long-continued practice. This means that you should know as soon as possible what oral health habits are bad for your teeth and your smile so that you can avoid them or stop yourself from doing them. Here are five bad oral health habits that you might have not yet noticed you are doing.
Examples of Bad Oral Habits
Clenching and Grinding Your Teeth
Many people clench or grind their teeth when they feel stressed or when they feel a strong emotion like anger. While clenching or grinding is not immediately damaging, it can wear down your teeth in the long term. Now, the hard part about this is that these bad oral habits are usually involuntary, especially night grinding. Fortunately, there are some tried and true tips for how to stop clenching teeth as well as night grinding. If you’re often waking up with a sore jaw due to the gnashing of your teeth in your sleep, then you might have to start wearing a nightguard. This will protect and cushion your teeth and reduce the negative impact of these bad oral health habits. If you clench or grind your teeth while awake, another good way to stop clenching teeth is by chewing sugar-free gum.
Habitual Cheek Biting and Lip Biting
Another one of those bad oral health habits that people don’t notice is the tendency to chew some part of their cheek or lips when stressed or when they are thinking. Habitual cheek biting as well as lip biting are detrimental to your oral health because they can cause long term wounds to develop in your mouth which are easily susceptible to infection. This is one bad habit that you need to avoid or stop immediately to save yourself from great discomfort and the need for possible treatment.
Chewing Ice
This is probably something that a lot of people are guilty of. While it might seem harmless, chewing ice habitually, or any hard object for that matter, can easily damage your teeth and weaken them. In fact, it damages your teeth’s enamel and may also cause cracks, chips, or fractures to your teeth as well as possible nerve damage. This means that you should avoid chewing on hard substances as well as using your teeth to open stubborn packaging before you get to a point where serious dental intervention becomes necessary.
Alternating Exposure to Extreme Temperatures
Among one of the most seemingly harmless bad oral health habits is subjecting your teeth to extreme temperatures simultaneously. Most of us are guilty of this. We eat very hot soup and then almost instantly drink cold beverages. What we don’t realize is that this habit slowly causes the teeth to become more and more sensitive in the long term. As such, remember to take some time before subjecting your teeth to opposite extreme temperatures so as not to shock the nerves in your teeth.
Skipping Regular Dental Care
Lastly, and the most common of all bad oral health habits is skipping on regular dental care. Just because you don’t experience any pain, it does not mean that there is no need for you to go to a dentist. While you may be practicing good oral hygiene at home, there are many dental problems that you may not be able to see or feel until they reach advanced stages. By regularly visiting your dentist, you can rest assured that your oral health is properly taken care of and that you can prevent any serious dental problems before they even arise.
Overcoming these bad oral health habits and turning them into good oral hygiene practices takes commitment. If you are looking for a dentist that offers holistic dentistry in Durango, call us! At Sunrise Dentistry, we are committed to helping you do this challenging task and ensure overall oral health and well-being. Schedule an appointment now!
