We all know that once we lose our baby teeth and our adult teeth grow in, we won’t get any more. We have one smile for life, and that’s it – if our teeth get damaged or we lose a tooth, we don’t get another chance, but how many of us take our teeth for granted?
Every day, we all do things that risk damaging our teeth. Some things are obvious, like eating sugar and smoking, but what about smaller habits that we may not even realise we’re doing? Here are some habits which are bad for your oral health that almost everyone is guilty of – even we do a few of them!
Chewing Ice – We all love the satisfying crunch of ice after a cold drink on a hot day, but the cold temperature combined with the hardness of ice can cause broken teeth. Even if there’s no immediate visible damage, ice risks causing cracks in your tooth enamel which you can’t see, later leading to increased risk of a cavity or a breakage. To stop yourself from chewing ice, use a straw to remove the likelihood of ice entering your mouth accidentally, or forgo ice in drinks all together if you have real trouble kicking the habit.
Biting Nails – Biting your nails is an unconscious habit for most people, you may not even think about doing it until you’ve chewed your way through all of your fingers! Nail biting can however cause serious problems, and not just for your teeth. Severe nail biting can lead to infections around your nails. Your hands also touch a lot throughout the day, and your fingernails gather a lot of grime, meaning all that bacteria and dirt goes right into your mouth – gross! Chronic nail biting can also cause jaw problems and push your teeth out of alignment, which yo0u ,may even need to fix with braces.
There’s lots you can do to stop biting your nails. Some recommended methods of stopping include chewing gum or finding other habits to occupy your hands such as arts and crafts. There are also specialist clear nail polishes available (suitable for all genders) that have a sour chemical taste specifically designed to make biting your nails off-putting.
Chewing Pens – Much like biting your nails, chewing a pen/pencil is often an unconscious habit that we don’t realise we’re doing. Luckily, the ways to stop biting pens are similar to stopping biting your nails. Try chewing gum, or if you have bought nail polish designed to stop you biting your nails, consider coating your pen tips with the same nail polish to discourage you from biting that too.
Using Your Teeth as Tools/ Extra Hands – Using your teeth as a tool or an extra hand comes with a myriad of problems; from bacteria to the risk of damaging your teeth. Before you use your teeth to bite something open or hold something, consider what you’re doing. Is this urgent, or can it wait until you have the proper tools available? Do you need to hold this in your mouth, or can you come back for it? Ask yourself if it’s really worth risking permanent damage to your teeth for the sake of saving a few minutes – chances are, it isn’t!