The secret to keeping your mouth healthy involves more than just brushing and flossing your teeth. If you are guilty of any of the following habits, you could be damaging your teeth without realizing it. Take a look below and then call us at 913-251-9683 to request your next preventive dentistry appointment in Lenexa, KS.

Chewing on Ice

Chewing on hard ice cubes is a common cause of chipped or cracked teeth. Constant, mindless ice chomping can also irritate the soft tissue on the inside of your teeth, leading to painful toothaches.

Playing Contact Sports without A Mouth Guard

If you play hockey, football, or another contact sport, you should always play with a mouth guard. A mouth guard is a molded piece of plastic that protects your upper row of teeth. If a mouth guard isn’t worn during contact sports, your teeth can get chipped or knocked out.

Grinding Your Teeth

Teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, can severely damage your teeth over time. Teeth grinding is often caused by stress and sleeping habits, making it harder to treat. Wearing a mouthguard while you sleep can help protect your teeth and prevent the damage caused by grinding.

Chowing Down on Gummy Candy

All sugary treats are bad for your teeth, but gummy candy is especially harmful. Gummies stick to your teeth, allowing the sugar and acids it produces access to your enamel for an extended time.

Sipping on Soft Drinks

Soft drinks are bad news for your oral health for several reasons. Some soft drinks have as much as 11 teaspoons of sugar in a single serving. Plus, soft drinks contain phosphoric and citric acids which are known to erode tooth enamel. Diet soft drinks that use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar tend to have even more acid in them, so you are better off skipping soft drinks entirely.

Drinking Sports Drinks

An ice-cold sports drink is refreshing after extensive exercise or a hard workout, but sports drinks are usually loaded with sugar. That sugar can cause acid to attack the enamel of your teeth, weakening them, and putting them at a greater risk for tooth decay. Your best bet is to drink good, old-fashioned water.

Drinking Fruit Juice

Fruit juice contains loads of vitamins and antioxidants, and considering it’s made from fruit, people assume it’s healthy to drink. Unfortunately, because of the amount of sugar in them, some fruit juices are no better for you than soda. If you can’t start your day without a cup of fresh fruit juice, look for varieties that have no added sugar or dilute your juice with some water.

Opening Things with Your Teeth

You may not have given much thought to this habit, but opening things with your teeth is one that is sure to lead to damage. Using your teeth as tools puts them at risk for cracking or chipping. Instead, protect your teeth and use scissors or bottle openers instead.
Our team at Pierce & Knight Family Dentistry works every day to keep our patients happy and healthy. Don’t hesitate to call our Lenexa, KS office at 913-251-9683 or contact us online to see what we can do to help keep your mouth healthy.