Your teeth take a lot of punishment throughout your life, but people routinely do things that unnecessarily add stress and higher chances of tooth decay. These are totally avoidable, but many people think their teeth are invincible. We see them come in with chips, breaks and cavities that didn’t need to happen.
Your Teeth Are Not Pliers, Scissors or Wrenches
I think everyone has that one friend. You know, the one that does the risky crazy behavior that everyone loves at parties, but you’re sure will end up in the ER around midnight. Let me know if you’ve seen them with this scenario. You’re at a party enjoying some adult beverages and he grabs a bottle and tries to twist off the cap…but it doesn’t budge. Does he grab a bottle opener? Nope, he puts the bottle in his mouth and tries to wrench the cap off with his teeth. Ten seconds later, he’s bleeding all over the carpet with part of his tooth on the floor.
Teeth are meant for chewing and grinding food, that’s about it. When you use it to open plastic packages or bags, try and pull something apart, etc. you’re adding significant strain on your teeth and begging for a cut, chip or breakage. Don’t risk your pearly whites because you don’t want to grab the bottle opener from the kitchen drawer.
Eating Hard and Sticky Candies
No matter how many times a dentist tells a person about the dangers of sugar, they’re still going to eat that occasional Snickers bar and drink a can of Coke. There’s candy and then there’s candy that will break your teeth. Some candies are supposed to be sucked, which lets the sugar just sit on your teeth, but people are impatient. They crunch down and add serious stress to their teeth. The same thing happens with sticky candies like caramels that adhere to your teeth.
Your teeth are anchored, but over time they can become lose and sticky candies lead to more serious problems. Many people have cracked and broken teeth on hard candy. There’s a reason they call them jawbreakers.
They Created Mouth Guards for a Reason
If you’re part of a school activity or other professional sporting group, then mouth guards are likely mandatory not only for your safety, but the organizations liability. When you’re playing racquetball at the gym or football out on the quad on a sunny spring afternoon, you’re less likely to wear one. People don’t realize how easy it is to break or knock out a tooth playing something seemingly harmless. One wrong move with the racquet, and you’re picking up a few teeth from the floor.
While a properly fitted mouth guard won’t keep you safe from every knock and jostle, it can drastically reduce the chances of a permanent dental issue. It’s an important piece of sport safety equipment.
Brushing is Not a Suggestion
If there is one activity that will help keep your teeth healthy and your smile bright, it’s regular brushing. One of the easiest times to “forget” brushing is right before bed. It’s likely part of your morning routine, but bedtime oftentimes doesn’t have a routine. You’ve worked all day and it didn’t slow down when you got home. You’re tired and already in bed when you remember that you forgot to brush your teeth. “Oh well,” you say, “I’ll do it in the morning.”
Brushing before bed is important because it removes the bacteria and food particles that are sitting in your mouth. Without brushing, they’re allowed to attack your teeth unabated while you sleep.
If you’re guilty of any of these, then contact us today and let us help you get your smile back the way you want it.