Bad Habits Guaranteed To Wreck Your Teeth

#1 Stop Damaging Your Teeth

It is impossible to avoid regular wear and tear of the teeth. It cannot be done. Even talking puts a little wear and tear on our teeth each time we open our mouths, so imagine what happens when we eat or chew on things we shouldn't. With regular brushing and flossing and a healthy diet, natural adult teeth can last as long as you do. There are lots of ways we put pressure on our teeth every day, but many harmful things can be avoided. If you want to keep your pearly whites as long as possible, there are some habits you need to stop doing or steer clear from.

#2 Chewing On Ice

It is not unusual for people to chew on ice cubes as a way to stave off hunger pangs. Some people are addicted to ice chewing since it can temporarily numb the gums. They are calorie and sugar-free, after all. The problem is that they are too hard for your teeth to handle, especially if you are doing this quite regularly. 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 raw vegetables or sugarless gum instead.

#3 Opening Packages Or Bottles With Your Teeth

Your teeth are not meant to open up packages or bottles. It may be the quickest way to open things up but this is one habit that makes dentists cringe. Pulling packets open with your teeth also slowly pulls the teeth away from the gums, and eventually they lose their grip. The stress on your teeth from the pulling also causes undo wearing down of the enamel. Try to avoid using your teeth for anything other than chewing food.

#4 Piercing Your Lip Or Tongue

For many young adults, getting the tongue pierced is pretty cool, and a way of expressing yourself. But your dentists hate them. Every year, they see scores of teeth that have been pushed out of alignment by lip rings. They treat thousands of cases of gum disease that have been exacerbated by tongue piercings. The mouth is also a haven for bacteria, so piercings raise the risk of infections and sores.

#5 Chewing The Ends Of Pencils

Just like chewing on ice, this practice can cause the teeth to crack and chip. This is a really common habit among students and office workers. It is easy to find yourself absentmindedly chewing on a pencil or pen top during a dull moment at work. It should be avoided, because the risk is not really worth what is, essentially, a subconscious tic. To cure this bad habit, soak your pencil end in rubbing alcohol or body wash and you won't enjoy the taste so much.

#6 Grinding Your Teeth

Grinding your teeth is pretty common, and it usually happens subconsciously or when you are asleep. Tooth grinding (or bruxism) wears down the enamel on teeth. It weakens them and makes them more prone to cracks and fractures. If you are a night grinder, you might want to consider a plastic mouth guard that will keep the mouth open so that the teeth won't touch. Constant grinding can cause your teeth to wear down quickly, and even damage the nerve endings.

#7 Snack Foods

It is not just sugar that causes problems because starchy foods are turned into acid too. Potato chips are an especially destructive culprit because they get lodged in between teeth and little morsels stick in the gums. They then get turned into plaque and contribute to the weakening of tooth enamel. You might want to floss after eating potato chips or other starchy foods that tend to get stuck in the teeth.

#8 Hard Candy & Cough Drops

Cough drops and throat lozenges may seem pretty good for you, after all, they do soothe a scratchy, itchy throat. But don't be fooled. The sugar in these drops and candies reacts with the plaque in your mouth. The plaque then produces acid and this eats away at the enamel. Before you know it, you have cavities starting to appear. Hard candy does the same thing, eventually eating away at your teeths enamel. Be sensible and practical about what you are putting in your mouth.

#9 Soda & Soft Drinks

Candy isn't the only culprit when it comes to sugars that eat away at the teeth's enamel. Carbonated drinks are full of sugar and are horrible for teeth. The average can of soda has around eleven teaspoons of sugar hidden away in its sickly sweet insides and diet soda is even worse. Sodas also contain phosphoric and citric acids, which eat away at tooth enamel. The diet soda has even more acid than the regular and the jury is still out on all of those artificial sweeteners.

#10 Playing Sports Without A Mouth Guard

You might be a big hockey, football, or lacrosse fan; whatever your poison, pop a flexible mouth guard over your teeth before you head to play. 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. Once a tooth is lost, it's gone forever. Don't take any chances by having a tooth or two knocked out of your head because you didn't wear a mouth guard.

#11 Smoking Or Chewing Tobacco

You knew this would make the list, right? Smoking is bad all the way around. Even a mild smoking habit can be hazardous for the health of teeth and gum tissues. Chewing tobacco is the same as smoking, bad for your health and teeth. The only real solution is to quit, so you might want to think about the fact that smoking significantly increases the risk of mouth cancer. Yes, it can be really difficult to give up, but your body will thank you for it in the long run. Aside from staining the teeth beyond repair, smoking causes the teeth to grow weak and lose color and enamel. If you need a good reason to quit smoking, do it for your smile!

#12 Drinking A Lot Of Wine

Drinking wine on a regular basis can make its mark on your smile. The acids in wine eat away at tooth enamel, creating rough spots that make teeth more vulnerable to staining. Red wine also contains a deep pigment called chromogen and tannins, which help the color stick to the teeth. And white wine is no better. The acids weaken the enamel and leave the teeth porous and vulnerable to staining from other beverages, such as coffee. Rinsing with luke warm water after sipping a glass of vino may help, but long term it will leave your teeth discolored.

#13 Nail Biting

Lots of people do this out of habit. Biting your nails is not only gross, it's dangerous to your health and teeth. Your fingernails have millions of germs and bacteria under them and when you use your teeth as a clipper you're getting all of that junk in your mouth. This can make you sick but what's more, it can cause your teeth to become weak and chipped. Just like chewing ice or opening packages with your teeth, this is one habit you should stop immediately.

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