Dental Habits You Need to Avoid

Good oral health is essential for your overall wellness. While brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing daily, and regular dental visits are a must, ensuring you avoid activities or habits that can damage your teeth help you steer clear of oral health problems.

Understand some habits that can negatively impact your overall oral hygiene.

Nail Biting

Did you know around 20–30% of Americans compulsively bite their nails? Nail biting is associated with frustration, stress and boredom and is common in children, especially 7–10 years old.

Sometimes, nail biting may indicate an underlying mental health issue such as OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), that involves performing a repetitive activity to ease the anxiety caused by a certain thought, or attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nail biting even leads to severe oral health problems; when you bite your nail, you invite many jaw problems or end up chipping a tooth.

Using Your Teeth as a Tool

People usually use their teeth to cut tape or plastic ties instead of using scissors; some even use their teeth to twist off bottle caps or open packets of chips.Though it may not sound like a big deal,it can harm your teeth, such as weakening or chipping them, and you can even end up with tooth fractures.

So it is wise to think twice before putting something in your mouth and risk your oral hygiene.

Chewing on Ice

Chewing on ice might give you a nice feeling after gulping down some soda but it can damage your teeth. It damages tooth enamel or the protective layer that helps shield your teeth from decay. You should especially avoid it if you have dental fillings and braces. It can even damage the soft tissues in your teeth, causing sensitivity and toothaches.

Brushing Hard

While brushing your teeth twice a day is great for your overall oral hygiene, brushing too hard can have a reverse effect. It damages your teeth and irritates your gums by increasing sensitivity.

To maintain your oral hygiene:

• Always use a soft-bristled toothbrush, as hard bristles can increase your chances of various gum problems.

• Use toothpaste according to your oral health. Highly abrasive ingredients can affect your tooth enamel leading to tooth extractions.

• Wait at least 60 minutes after eating something to brush your eat, especially when having soda drinks or acidic food.

Maintain Your Oral Health: Book an Appointment With Us

It’s better to avoid these habits to take care of your teeth, but doing all this doesn’t mean regular dentist visits are unnecessary. Get your teeth regularly checked by visiting Waterfront Family Dentistry in Frisco. We can perform thorough teeth cleaning for you and offer several other services such as tooth extraction, root canal, and emergency dentistry.