Habits That Wreck Your Teeth
Chewing on Ice
It’s
natural and sugar free, so you might think ice is harmless. But munching on
hard, frozen cubes can chip or even crack your teeth. And if your mindless
chomping irritates the soft tissue inside a tooth, regular toothaches may
follow. 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 sugarless
gum instead.
Playing Sports with No Mouth Guard
Whether
you play football, hockey, or any other contact sport, don't get in the game
without a mouth guard. 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. You can have one custom made by your dentist.
Bedtime Bottles
It’s
never too early to protect teeth. Giving a baby a bedtime bottle of juice,
milk, or formula, can put new teeth on a path to decay. The baby may become
used to falling asleep with the bottle in his or her mouth, bathing the teeth
in sugars overnight. It's best to keep bottles out of the crib.
Grinding Teeth
Teeth
grinding, or bruxism, can wear teeth down over time. It is most often caused by
stress and sleeping habits. This makes it hard to control. Avoiding hard foods
during the day can reduce pain and damage from this habit. Wearing a mouth
guard at night can prevent the damage caused by grinding while sleeping.
Cough Drops
Just
because cough drops are sold in the medicine aisle doesn't mean they’re
healthy. Most are loaded with sugar. So after soothing your throat with a
lozenge, be sure to brush well. Whether the sugar comes from a cough drop or a
hard candy, it reacts with the sticky plaque that coats your teeth. Then
bacteria in the plaque convert the sugar into an acid that eats away at tooth
enamel. Hello, cavities.
Gummy Candy
All
sugary treats promote tooth decay, but some candies are harder to bear. Gummies
stick in the teeth, keeping the sugar and resulting acids in contact with your
enamel for hours. If your day just isn't the same without a gummy critter, pop
a couple during a meal instead of as a separate snack. More saliva is produced
during meals, which helps rinse away candy bits and acids.
Soda
Candy
isn't the only culprit when it comes to added sugar. Sodas can have up to 11
teaspoons of sugar per serving. To add insult to injury, sodas also contain
phosphoric and citric acids, which eat away at tooth enamel. Diet soft drinks
let you skip the sugar, but they may have even more acid in the form of the
artificial sweeteners.
Sports Drinks
There's
no doubt a cold sports drink is refreshing after a good workout. But these
drinks are usually high in sugar. Like soda or candy, sugary sports drinks
create an acid attack on the enamel of your teeth. Drinking them frequently can
lead to decay. A better way to stay hydrated at the gym is to chug sugar-free,
calorie-free water.
Fruit Juice
Fruit
juice is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, but unfortunately most juices
are also loaded with sugar. Some juices can have as much sugar per serving as
soda. For example, there are only 10 more grams of sugar in orange soda than in
orange juice. Fruits are naturally sweet, so look for juice that has no added
sugar. You can also reduce the sugar content by diluting juice with some water.
Potato Chips
The
bacteria in plaque will also break down starchy foods into acid. This acid can
attack the teeth for the next 20 minutes -- even longer if the food is stuck
between the teeth or you snack often. You might want to floss after eating
potato chips or other starchy foods that tend to get stuck in the teeth.
Constant Snacking
Snacking
produces less saliva than a meal, leaving food bits in your teeth for hours
longer. Avoid snacking too frequently, and stick to snacks that are low in
sugar and starch -- for example, carrot sticks.
Smoking
Cigarettes,
as well as other tobacco products, can stain teeth and cause them to fall out
as a result of gum disease. Tobacco can also cause cancer of the mouth, lips,
and tongue. If you were looking for one more reason to quit, think of your
smile.Dr. Krinita Motwani
Email: drkrinitamotwani@gmail.com
Website: www.drkrinitamotwani.com
Contact: +91 9820280343
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