Want To Keep Your Enamel Healthy? Avoid Doing These 11 Things

1. Chewing on hard foods

We’re looking at you Unpopped popcorn kernels and pitted fruits.

2. Chewing on hard objects

This includes fingernails, pencils, pen caps, and ice.

3. Grinding your teeth

If you grind your teeth, discuss it with your dentist. An appliance can protect your smile.

4. Eating too much sticky food

Gummy candy, dried fruit, and even protein bars can break teeth.

5. Drinking anything besides water frequently

If your teeth are bathed in soda (sugared or diet), juice, coffee, or sports drinks habitually, you are asking for dental issues.

6. Playing sports without a mouthguard

Sports pose a major risk of tooth damage. Most little ones are required to wear a protective mouthguard on the playing field. But fewer adults wear mouthguards for recreational activities like mountain biking and skiing. The stock mouth protectors are pre-formed and ready to wear. Unfortunately, they rarely fit well. Custom-fitted mouthguards from your dentist are more comfortable than the cheap boil-and-bite type.

7. Using a hard-bristled toothbrush

A hard-bristled toothbrush can break teeth and cause gums to pull away. Remove food bits and plaque with a soft (or extra-soft) toothbrush.

8. Ignoring dry mouth

Saliva is important. This helps to rinse food particles from your mouth as well as neutralize the acids that cause plaque. It also helps clean the teeth of leftover food bits, helping to prevent plaque buildup. Constant dry mouth, or xerostomia, can lead to tooth decay. Talk to your dentist if you have a dry mouth frequently.

9. Using teeth as tools

Locate a pair of scissors to open a package or pry the lid of a medicine bottle. Use a nutcracker if you are eating unshelled nuts. A quality dental crown can cost over eight hundred dollars.

10. Ignoring bad breath

Bad breath is often associated with bacteria build-up in the mouth. It might be a symptom of accelerating decay. Discuss it with your dentist. (Don’t be embarrassed. We treat bad breath all the time.)

11. Ignoring jaw pain

If you experience frequent jaw pain or notice a clicking sound, be sure to schedule an appointment with your dentist promptly! These symptoms can be signs of a serious condition called temporomandibular disorder or TMD.

Is it too late? Have you already broken or chipped a tooth? We can repair it at Coleman & Dastrup – Dentistry Elevated. There are a number of restorative and cosmetic dental treatments chipped or cracked teeth.