There are plenty of positive dental habits you should integrate into your daily life to ensure that your teeth remain happy and healthy for years to come. For example, brushing twice a day and flossing once a day can help prevent plaque from building up and causing damage to your tooth structures and gums. By drinking water, you’re supplying your teeth with fluoride, a natural mineral found in the liquid that helps strengthen your tooth enamel or the outer layer of your teeth. However, there are also quite a few negative habits that are detrimental to your dental health. Here are 3 bad dental habits you should avoid for healthier teeth:

Chewing on Hard Objects

This habit is actually quite common among patients: chewing on hard objects such as ice or the ends of pencils and pens. However, doing so can cause a lot of damage to your teeth over time. For example, chewing on ice can lead to the development of fractures in the teeth. Why? The cold and brittle nature of ice can cause tiny cracks in the surface of your tooth’s enamel, and over time, these cracks become larger and more serious as you continue to chew on hard objects. Although crushed ice may seem like a refreshing treat, avoid chewing it at all costs.

Using Your Teeth Outside of Their Intended Use

Have you ever tried to use your teeth for things outside of their intended purpose? For example, have you ever used them to open up bags of chips? Cut a small piece of loose thread hanging from your shirt? Straighten out a paper clip? Each time you use your teeth for functions such as these, you’re actually putting them at risk for chips and fractures. Although your teeth are strong, when under these conditions, there’s a lot of pressure that’s being put on them. So, instead of using your teeth as tools, consider your dental health, and opt for using real tools instead!

Grinding Your Teeth

Teeth grinding is a habit that may be a little bit harder to break, especially if you do this without your knowledge as you sleep at night. For that reason, many dentists offer a teeth grinding solution in the form of mouth guards; when worn as you go to bed, the mouth guard can protect your teeth from any teeth grinding you do while you sleep, eliminating the risk for excessive wear, fractures, and breaks in the teeth. Teeth grinding often comes to fruition as a result of stress, so during the day, avoid stressful situations, or practice healthy habits that help you de-stress!

By avoiding the above negative dental habits, and continuing to practice good ones, you can ensure that your dental health will always be at its best!

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