Good oral health is important for your overall health and well-being. Habits such as smoking, teeth grinding, chewing ice, nail-biting, or using your teeth as tools can cause severe damage to your teeth. Read on to learn more about how these habits can affect our oral health.
The nicotine and tar in cigarettes stain the teeth and cause bad breath. Smokers are also more likely to have oral cancer due to repeated exposure to tobacco present in cigarettes. Quitting smoking will improve not only your oral health but your overall health as well. It’s never too late to stop smoking! Talk to a dentist about quitting smoking to improve your oral and overall health.
You may not even realize that you’re grinding your teeth! It often happens at night when you’re sleeping or napping. If you do notice yourself doing it as you sleep, your dentist can make a custom mouthguard to wear while you sleep that can do the same job!
Using a hard substance like ice can do a lot of damage to your teeth over time. If pieces of the ice break off in your mouth and lodge in between your teeth and gums, it could cause cracks or chips in the enamel of a tooth. Also, the intense coldness of ice could irritate sensitive gums and cause painful swelling. If you have the habit of chewing ice, stop it at the earliest.
Nail-biting is a bad habit that many people suffer from. It may seem like a harmless habit, but it can do a lot of damage to your top and bottom front teeth over time. As the nails grow out and dig into the enamel of your front teeth, they can chip the edges or even break off entirely. When you chew on your nails, you can cause chips and cracks in your teeth. This can leave your teeth vulnerable to infection and pain. Ask your dentist about how you can break this habit for good and protect your smile at the same time.
Have you ever used your teeth to pry something open? Or have you ever snapped a string or tag with your teeth? If so, you’re guilty of using your teeth for something other than eating and talking! Your teeth are meant for those purposes only, so if you overuse them for other actions, they can become damaged over time. That’s why you should see your dentist regularly, so they can provide treatment for any developing damage before it gets worse. If you’re guilty of damaging your teeth by overusing them as tools, our dentists can work with you to repair any existing damage. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule your next visit.
To learn more about ways to maintain good oral health, visit us for consultation at Shepherd Dental at 915-D N Shepherd Dr. Ste. D, Houston, TX 77008, or contact us for an appointment at (713) 864-3993.
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