How To Change Bad Oral Habits

Whilst many of us have a good dental care regime and never miss a dental check-up, what many of us don’t realize, however, is that we have many bad habits that are having a negative impact on our overall oral health. In this blog post, we will take you through the most common bad habits and help you to change them so that your overall oral health can remain in the best condition.

Ice Crunching:

You may have been told before just how detrimental crunching ice is for your teeth, with the brittleness and cold temperature of ice cubes actually posing a threat of fractures in your teeth. Microscopic cracks in the surface of the enamel that can then lead to bigger dental problems over time. Whilst crushed ice is less harmful than bigger cubes, it still isn’t advised as an alternative by us. Snacking on things like baby carrots will allow you to have something to crunch on, that isn’t going to be harming your teeth.

Using Your Teeth As Tools:

Many of us can be guilty of this in the spur of the moment, using our teeth to rip open packets or to twist off the lid of a bottle. This can traumatize your teeth and even cause the edge of a weakened tooth to chip off or even fracture. Keeping the correct tools handy would be ideal but this isn’t always possible, stopping to think about what you’re putting in your mouth will help you.

Grinding Your Teeth:

Grinding can happen for a variety of reasons, to find out more about how and why it happens to click here. Needless to say, it causes damage over time to your teeth and being able to stop doing this either through a mouthguard or other treatment will be a massive positive.

Using a Hard-Bristled Toothbrush:

Many people believe that the firmer the toothbrush, the better. This isn’t necessarily the case if the bristles are too firm they can cause irritation to your gums which can then, in turn, lead to gum recession and sensitive teeth. Speaking to one of our team members will allow you to explore our recommended options for toothbrushes.

Not Brushing Properly:

Some of us may fail to brush our teeth properly, finding the right strength electric toothbrush and sticking to a regime of twice a day are the fundamentals of brushing your teeth. As ever, we also recommend cleaning in between the teeth with floss or small brushes (Tepes) and using mouthwash to really make sure that your mouth is clean and healthy. Hopefully, we have given you some insight into how you can begin changing any bad oral habits that you are guilty of. If you would like to discuss the tips given in more detail or to book an appointment to see either one of our dentists or hygienists click here to get in contact with us. We are an Exeter based dentist, our practice is located within the heart of the city, making us readily available to many.