10 Harmful Habits That Can Ruin Your Smile

10 Harmful Habits That Can Ruin Your Smile

Almost every person in the world wants to have white teeth and healthy gums. However, it is not easy to maintain oral health especially if you have bad habits. There are a lot of foods, drinks, and factors that can damage your teeth and hurt your gums. In this article, we gathered 10 harmful habits that can ruin your smile

1. Neglecting proper oral hygiene

Maintaining proper oral hygiene is one of the most important factors that contribute to healthy teeth and gums. Some people neglect to brush their teeth twice a day and flossing daily. The reality is that plaque accumulates on teeth and becomes a host for a large number of harmful bacteria. These bacteria consume food particles that stick to the plague and produce acids. The acidic environment in the mouth promotes the development of cavities.

2. Nibbling solid objects

Many people tend to use their teeth as an instrument that helps open bottles and packaging, bite off the wire, or crack open nutshells. The result of such usage of teeth can be very unpleasant. You can damage your tooth enamel, injure gums, and even lose a tooth. That’s why when you will want to use your teeth as a tool, you should remember that the services of a dentist are quite expensive.

3. Consuming acidic foods

Citrus fruits, wines, and energy drinks contain a lot of acids. Their frequent use can make your teeth hurt due to enamel erosion. This means that dentin becomes exposed that makes your teeth porous and vulnerable to dental issues and destructive bacteria. Dentists can always accurately identify lovers of acidic foods or those who work with chemistry by the characteristic fossae or ridges on the teeth surface.

4. Wearing oral piercing

A metal piercing can not only damage your teeth, but also break one of them. Permanent contact of the tooth surface with a foreign body is also undesirable because it can damage the tooth enamel. It can develop microcracks, which leads to tooth decay. 

Sensitive gum tissue can also be affected by metal piercing. When the metal object regularly rubs the gums, they can gradually reduce their volume. This condition can cause a number of dental problems, including tooth loss. Lip piercing can also lead to certain oral issues since it contributes to the increased number of harmful bacteria. These bacteria can cause infections and ulcers in the oral cavity.

5. Being addicted to coffee or tea

Some people can't imagine their morning without a cup of coffee or tea. However, you should understand that the excessive consumption of these drinks can also harm your teeth. Due to the high caffeine content in the mouth, you can experience dryness, which leads to a lack of saliva. This contributes to tooth decay and various gum diseases. 

A tooth-damaging process is compounded by adding sugar to tea or coffee. In addition, these drinks will negatively affect your enamel color, because they contain many acids and dyes. This means that people who are fond of tea and coffee can get tooth discoloration over time.

6. Gnawing nails

A lot of people tend to gnaw their nails that can lead to many unpleasant consequences. Microbes that are located under the nails can freely enter the mouth and other organs that may result in various infections. Moreover, when you bite your nails your jaws are in the wrong position, which can lead to discomfort or pain in the jaw

In addition, such a bad habit destroys your tooth enamel. It is a quite common cause of tooth enamel wear and chipped teeth. If you want to break this habit, you can try using a special nail polish. Its bitter taste will wean you from gnawing nails.

7. Use of wooden toothpicks

Wooden toothpicks can seem the perfect tool that helps easily get rid of pieces of food that are stuck between your teeth. However, many dentists don't recommend to use them. The reality is that they can scratch the tooth enamel or injure gums that may result in inflammation. If you want to safely get rid of food particles, ut is better to use dental floss.

8. Brushing your teeth with force

Vigorous toothbrushing can damage teeth and lead to gum swelling.  In addition, active toothbrushing can damage the roots of the teeth. To stay on the safe side, it is better to brush your teeth with light movements without excessive pressure. Despite the fact that tooth enamel is considered the hardest material in the human body, it can be scratched and damaged. You can also ask your dentist to help you choose the right toothbrush.

9. Smoking

Smoking can significantly damage your overall health. First of all, nicotine and resins settle on the tooth surface that gives them yellow or gray hue. Moreover, the teeth of smokers become more susceptible to decay due to temperature changes. 

Smoking provokes an increase in bacteria in the oral cavity, which can lead to gum disease. You should know that gum disease is one of the main causes of tooth loss. In addition, smoking can cause oral or throat cancer.

10. Eating hard candies

Sweets themselves are able to damage your teeth because they increased the number of cavities. However, you can significantly reduce this effect with the help of plain water. Take a sip or two of water after eating sweets in order to wash away all the particles that can stitch between your teeth.

As for hard candies, the situation is more dangerous. You can easily crack your tooth while gnawing solid candies. Moreover, you can hurt your gums as well with a sharp piece of candy. If you can’t live without lollipops or mint candies, avoid biting and chewing them. 

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