Six Habits That Can Damage Your Teeth

By Temidayo Tiamiyu

Many are unaware of how indulgence in some habits adversely affect or damage their dentition.

Here are six of such habits:

Chewing On Ice

Munching on hard, frozen cubes can chip or crack your teeth. The habit of chewing ice irritates the soft tissue inside a tooth and causes toothaches.

Cough Syrups

Many cough syrups are known to contain sugar, which constitutes a plaque. The sticky plaque, which has bacteria, coats the teeth. The bacteria convert sugar into acid that eats away tooth enamel. To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to brush well after consuming a cough drop or a hard candy.

Chewing A Pencil

Do you ever chew on your pencil when concentrating on work or studies? Like aforementioned habit of crunching ice, this habit can cause teeth to crack. Sugarless gum is a better option when you feel the need to chew. It will trigger the flow of saliva, which can make teeth stronger and protect against enamel-eating acids.

Bedtime Bottles

This applies to parents or relatives who feed little kids on a bottle of juice or milk at bedtime. This may well not do the baby any good, rather it makes his/her decay fast. The baby may become used to falling asleep with the bottle in his or her mouth, bathing the teeth in sugars overnight.

Opening Stuff With Your Teeth

Opening bottle caps or plastic packaging with your teeth may be convenient, but this is one habit that will make a dentist frown. Using your teeth as tools can cause them to crack or chip. Instead, keep scissors and bottle openers handy. Your teeth should only be used for eating.

Smoking

Cigarettes and other tobacco products can stain teeth and cause them to fall out as a result of gum disease. Tobacco can also cause cancer of the mouth, lips, and tongue. If you are looking for one more reason to quit, then think about your smile.