Habits That May Be Damaging Your Teeth

For most of us, we go about our daily lives without giving much thought to the way our habits may affect our dental health. However, there are multiple ways that you may be damaging your teeth without even realizing it.

Damaging Habits For Your Oral Health

• Overly Sugary Food – We all know that sugar isn’t great for us, but it’s probably the worst thing you can do to your teeth. The bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar, and then produce harmful acids that weaken your tooth enamel. This means that your tooth enamel is more vulnerable to dental cavities and tooth decay. If you have a diet high in sugar, it’s even more important to make sure you’re practicing good oral hygiene.
• Unhealthy Beverages – There are several drinks that are harmful to your teeth. These can include soda (even sugar-free diet soda), fruit juices, and alcoholic beverages. In addition to the added sugar, these drinks are all highly acidic, which can also damage tooth enamel. If you choose to drink these beverages, we suggest rinsing your mouth with water afterward in order to wash away the sugar and acids.
• Harmful Activities – Some of the harmful activities that can damage your teeth include smoking, and chewing tobacco. These will not only damage your teeth, but your overall health as well. We also suggest not using your teeth as tools to open bottle caps or packaging. Lastly, if you suffer from bruxism (nighttime clenching and grinding of teeth), you need to be sure you’re fitted with a custom night guard to avoid damaging your teeth.

If you need more information on how to keep your teeth healthy, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Behnaz Raisdana, please don’t hesitate to contact Auburn Family Dental today. Our office is located here in Wichita, KS.