Common Everyday Habits That Are Ruining Your Teeth

Maintaining a healthy mouth can have a huge effect on your overall sense of well-being and general health and will reduce the chances of you requiring costly dental treatments to repair or replace teeth. However there are a number of common everyday habits that could be undermining your attempts to look after your teeth.

Nibbling Your Nails

Some of us will bite our fingernails, especially when nervous or stressed. Putting your fingers in your mouth is a good way to introduce bacteria into the oral cavity. Chewing your nails can also cause small cracks or chips to form in teeth.

Smoking

If you smoke then you will already know it is bad for your health, but smoking also puts your teeth and gums at risk. Smoking will not only stain your teeth and give you bad breath, but increases your risk of developing gum disease, a condition that can cause tooth loss.

Drinking Too Many Fizzy Drinks

Sipping fizzy drinks can ruin your teeth as many are high in sugar. Many people will have switched to low-calorie drinks, but they are still very bad for teeth. Diet drinks contain high levels of acids, including citric acid and artificial colours that will erode away teeth.

Failing to Wear a Sports Mouthguard

If you enjoy contact sports or any other activities where you might take a knock to the mouth, then it is worthwhile wearing a properly fitting sports mouthguard. Even though you might be careful, it is all too easy for accidents to happen and dental injuries can be costly to put right, especially if you calculate the costs over your lifetime.

If you struggle to drink water then try to ensure you have a beverage with every meal. Choose something you enjoy but make sure it doesn’t contain high amounts of sugar for the sake of your dental and general health. Fruits and vegetables have high water contents, so incorporating more of these foods into your diet will help. Around 20% of our daily fluid intake comes from foods.