Few Bad Habits That Can Damage Your Teeth

By Author: Dexter Brown
Total Articles: 154
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Many people are not aware of how certain foods, drinks, and physical activities can destroy their teeth and gums. No matter how much time they spend to floss and brush, few bad habits tend to damage oral health. Therefore, it is essential to know how one can keep their teeth pearly white and at the same time, avoid harming them for the long term. Below are a few habits one should take note of that compromise your dental care in McLean and you need to get rid at the earliest.

Smoking and nail-biting

Consuming any tobacco products not only damages your overall health but also puts you at risk of numerous dental issues. Smoking stains your teeth and causes periodontal and gum disease and also results in premature tooth loss. It also lowers the production of saliva, thereby increasing the risk of bad breath caused due to food decomposition and harmful bacteria, and tooth decay. Needless to say, consuming tobacco products are the primary reason for most oral cancers.

Biting your nail not only causes chipping, cracking, or wearing down of the teeth but also leads to jaw dysfunction. When biting, your jaws are ...
... positioned at a different angle by pushing your lower jaw out of line. With time, this can lead to temporomandibular disorder (TMD), a dental health condition caused due to a painful jaw. Furthermore, nail-biting also attract harmful bacteria into your mouth.

Brushing hard and grinding your teeth

Many people love brushing their teeth too hard to believe that it helps in cleaning and removing the plaque from their teeth surface. The truth is aggressive brushing causes gum irritation and enamel erosion with time. Therefore, for taking proper dental care in McLean, it is important to brush your teeth slowly for two minutes using a soft-bristled toothbrush.

Subconsciously, people grind their teeth, especially when sleeping, and this condition is referred to as bruxism, a condition caused due to sleep-disordered breathing or stress. After a certain period, it can result in headaches, jaw pain, misaligned jaw, and premature tear and wear of teeth. In addition to these, teeth grinding can also cause fractured or chipped teeth, thereby requiring dental implants or crowns. If you avoid treating your grinding teeth, it can cause chronic facial pain, muscle, and joint dysfunction.

Binge eating

It is never good for your health to indulge in binge eating as it causes numerous health issues, including poor dental health, eating disorders, and obesity. The major dental problems with binge eating involve consuming unhealthy foods and when people binge eats. Sugars and leftover food particles between teeth become a feeding ground for harmful bacteria. When bacteria feed on sugar, they produce acids that can weaken the enamel, thus damaging your gums and teeth. Binge eating also happens frequently outside of regular meal hours often late in the evening or night, and that results in going to bed not brushing your teeth. It is crucial to brush and floss your teeth within 30 to 60 minutes of eating for preventing tooth decay.

McleanHealthySmiles, a dental clinic offering general dentistry services such as fillings, tooth restoration, Invisalign, extractions, root canals, bridges, veneers, teeth whitening, sealants, bruxism, emergency dental care, etc. in McLean, Great Falls, Falls Church, Arlington, Vienna, and DC. To know more, visit mcleanhealthysmiles.com/about-us.