Chewing ice:
It’s natural and sugar free, so you might
think ice is harmless. But munching on hard, frozen cubes can chip or even
crack your teeth. And if your mindless chomping irritates the soft tissue
inside a tooth, regular toothaches may follow. Hot foods and cold foods may
trigger quick, sharp jabs of pain or a lingering toothache. Next time you get
the urge for ice, chew some sugarless gum instead.
· Playing Sports With No Mouth Guard:
Whether you play football, hockey, or any other
contact sport, don't get in the game without a mouth guard. This is a piece of
molded plastic that protects the upper row of teeth. Without it, your teeth
could get chipped or even knocked out when the action gets rough. Self-fitting
mouth guards may be purchased at a store, or you can have one custom made by
your dentist.
· Bedtime Bottles:
It’s never too early to protect teeth. Giving a
baby a bedtime bottle of juice, milk, or formula, can put new teeth on a path
to decay. The baby may become used to falling asleep with the bottle in his or
her mouth, bathing the teeth in sugars overnight. It's best to keep bottles out
of the crib.
· Tongue Piercings:
Tongue piercings may be trendy, but biting down
on the metal stud can crack a tooth. Lip piercings pose a similar risk. And
when metal rubs against the gums, it can cause gum damage that may lead to
tooth loss. The mouth is also a haven for bacteria, so piercings raise the risk
of infections and sores. Bottom line, discuss the health risks with your
dentist first.
· Grinding Teeth:
Teeth grinding, or bruxism, can wear teeth down
over time. It is most often caused by stress and sleeping habits. This makes it
hard to control. Avoiding hard foods during the day can reduce pain and damage
from this habit. Wearing a mouth guard at night can prevent grinding while
sleeping.
· Opening Stuff with Your Teeth:
Opening bottle caps or plastic packaging with
your teeth may be convenient, but this is one habit that makes dentists cringe.
Using your teeth as tools can cause them to crack or chip. Instead, keep
scissors and bottle openers handy. Bottom line, your teeth should only be used
for eating.
· Smoking :
Cigarettes, as well as 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 were looking for
one more reason to quit, think of your smile.
· Constant Snacking:
Snacking produces less saliva than a meal,
leaving food bits in your teeth for hours longer. Avoid snacking too
frequently, and stick to snacks that are low in sugar and starch -- for
example, carrot sticks.
· Drinking Coffee:
Coffee's dark color and acidity can cause
yellowing of the teeth over time. Fortunately, it's one of the easiest stains
to treat with various whitening methods. Talk to your dentist if you're
concerned about discoloration of your teeth.
· Soda :
Candy isn't the only culprit when it comes to
added sugar. Sodas can have up to 11 teaspoons of sugar per serving. To add
insult to injury, sodas also contain phosphoric and citric acids, which eat
away at tooth enamel. Diet soft drinks let you skip the sugar, but they may
have even more acid in the form of the artificial sweeteners.
· Sports Drinks:
There's no doubt a cold sports drink is
refreshing after a good workout. But these drinks are usually high in sugar.
Like soda or candy, sugary sports drinks create an acid attack on the enamel of
your teeth. Drinking them frequently can lead to decay. A better way to stay
hydrated at the gym is to chug sugar-free, calorie-free water.
· Fruit Juice:
Fruit juice is loaded with vitamins and
antioxidants, but unfortunately most juices are also loaded with sugar. Some
juices can have as much sugar per serving as soda. For example, there are only
10 more grams of sugar in orange soda than in orange juice. Fruits are
naturally sweet, so look for juice that has no added sugar. You can also reduce
the sugar content by diluting juice with some water.
· Cough Drops:
Just because cough drops are sold in the medicine
aisle doesn't mean they’re healthy. Most are loaded with sugar. So after
soothing your throat with a lozenge, be sure to brush well. Whether the sugar
comes from a cough drop or a hard candy, it reacts with the sticky plaque that
coats your teeth. Then bacteria in the plaque convert the sugar into an acid
that eats away at tooth enamel.
· Gummy Candy:
All sugary treats promote tooth decay, but some
candies are harder to bear. Gummies stick in the teeth, keeping the sugar and
resulting acids in contact with your enamel for hours. If your day just isn't
the same without a gummy critter, pop a couple during a meal instead of as a
separate snack. More saliva is produced during meals, which helps rinse away
candy bits and acids.
· Binge Eating:
Binge eating often involves excessive amounts of
sweets, which can lead to tooth decay. Binging and purging (bulimia nervosa)
can do even more damage to your dental health. The strong acids found in vomit
can erode teeth, making them brittle and weak. These acids also cause bad
breath. Bulimia can lead to a variety of serious health problems, so be sure to
talk to your doctor if you have been purging.
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