As we roll into the new year, it’s the perfect time for us to look at kind of the habits that we’re doing that we need to change to improve our well being and our health. This year, I want us to take a closer look at some of the things that might be hurting your teeth.
Things that you can do to help encourage oral health in the upcoming year, things like nail biting, chewing ice, using your teeth to open packages can cause chips, cracks and unnecessary wear on your teeth. Even brushing too hard with a manual toothbrush can cause that, but that can actually wear away enamel and cause irritation to your gum tissue. Even if you’re using those little plastic floss picks, you are passing bacteria from tooth to tooth, unless you’re using a new one every single time. And then the kind of pointy end that you kind of use, like a toothpick, can really irritate and inflame your gum tissue, even if you’re clenching and grinding and not wearing a bite guard or a retainer that can cause damage to your teeth, either in the form of wear or cracking or breaking.
Another big thing that we see is constant snacking or sipping on sugary or acidic drinks or foods.The best thing to do is to limit your beverages to meal times, or if you’re sipping on something during the day that you’re sipping on, basically water or something that doesn’t have any sugar or flavors or colors in it, that constant exposure to sugar or acid can cause long term decay and bacteria to stay in your mouth.
The good thing about all of those things that I just mentioned is they’re all fixable. Most of them are just habits that we need to consciously think about so that we can do something different, easy, easy changes are switching to an electric toothbrush with a soft bristle head, eating fewer sugary snacks, not sipping on drinks and all day wearing a bike guard or retainer at night while you sleep to help prevent damage from clenching and grinding.
So as we head into the new year, let’s focus on better habits, healthier routines. Here’s to a year of full, fresh, beautiful smiles. Happy New Year!