We all want to have a healthy smile that lights up the room and helps us to feel more confident, but so many of us are unwittingly ruining the health and appearance of our teeth without even knowing it.
There are a number of very common habits that will ruin your teeth over time, so you will definitely want to avoid overindulging in them if you can.
Of course, unless you know what these habits are, you might have a hard time avoiding them, and this could harm your oral health. That’s why, below, I’ll dive into some of the most common habits that ruin your teeth or are at least problematic.
Chewing ice
If you are someone who often crunches the ice in your drinks, then you might want to have a rethink. Why? Because chewing on ice cubes can cause chips and even cracks to form in teeth, which can be painful and cause your teeth to become unhealthy.
Over-flossing
It is important to floss, especially if you do not have perfectly straight teeth, because particles of food can find its way into the gaps and cause cavities to form and gum disease to develop among other things. However, if you floss your teeth too often and too hard, you could cause your gums to become inflamed or even to recede, which could jeopardize the health of your mouth and leave your teeth looking less than perfect.
Grinding your teeth
Many of us grind our teeth when we are angry or anxious, and many of us going our teeth without even realizing it when we sleep. Tooth grinding might seem like a harmless habit, but it can quite literally grind teeth down and cause them to become painful and misshapen. If you find yourself grinding your teeth, do your best to stop and find a better coping mechanism instead. If you grind at night, then wearing a mouthguard will help to keep your teeth healthy.
Drinking soda
If you drink a lot of soda, you could be drinking tens of teaspoons of sugar each and every day. In fact, the average soda has around 11 teaspoons of sugar in each can. This is bad news for your teeth because drinking what is basically liquid sugar means they are regularly coated with the sticky substance which can wear down enamel, cause cavities and discolor the teeth too. If you must drink soda, switch to sugar-free versions, but water really is much better.
Smoking
Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your health, anti can also ruin your smile by turning your teeth yellow, causing cavities to form and increasing your risk of gum disease amongst other things. If you smoke, then getting some help to quit as soon as possible is likely to be one o the best decisions you will ever make.
If you can avoid these bad habits, then your teeth will thank you for it and your smile will be as radiant as you would hope.
