When you think of “danger to your teeth,” you might think of accidental impacts, and wearing a mouthguard to protect them. While that’s a good idea, it doesn’t cover the range of different dangers your teeth can face, especially those you expose them to yourself without realizing it. Today, we look three ways you may be endangering your smile, and how you can reduce your risks of dental problems by addressing them.
Getting lax with your dental hygiene
Getting bored or being inconsistent with your dental hygiene routine are common ways to expose your teeth to danger. They’re also common to overlook as dangers, especially if you’re usually much better at taking care of your teeth. However, the point of dental hygiene is to keep your teeth clean, and the point of keeping them clean is to prevent too many oral bacteria from accumulating on their surfaces. When this occurs, the bacteria can cause significant harm to your teeth, gum tissues, and more. Therefore, or it’s important to be consistently diligent in cleaning your teeth, or risk exposing them to processes that can lead to much more serious problems down the road.
Chewing on things when you’re bored
Your teeth are the most active parts of your body, so for some people, it’s natural to have a nervous habit that involves chewing on something. Whether it’s a pen, pencil, or whatever’s closest at hand, this is the kind of habit that does much more harm than good. Sure, your teeth are strong, but they aren’t indestructible. They’re meant to process food continuously, not chew on inanimate objects, and this habit could lead to extensive wear and damage to your tooth structure. Not to mention, it leaves you exposed to ingesting something that could lead to other health risks, as well.
Grinding your teeth out of habit
Some people don’t need a pen, pencil, or anything between their teeth to bite and chew out of habit. Instead, grinding their teeth together serves the same purpose. It also creates a much greater risk to the health and integrity of your teeth; because they’re so strong, your teeth are more adept than anything else at wearing down and breaking things. That includes each other if you don’t take steps to stop grinding your teeth habitually.
Learn to stop endangering your smile
If you aren’t careful, you may be endangering the health and integrity of your teeth without realizing it. To learn more, schedule an appointment or initial consultation by calling Advanced Dental Concepts in Auburn Hills, MI, today at (248) 852-1820.
