Dr Bhavneet Kaur
“But I always brush my teeth”. This is the first reaction when people come to know they have a dental disease. Many people practice good dental care like brushing their teeth but surprising to them they still suffer from dental diseases. The most common reason for this is that much of the damage to the human mouth is done as the result of bad dental habits that people do without being aware of it. It is probably engaging regularly in one or more bad dental habits that can undermine the good ones and compromise your dental health. The good news is, none of these actions are addictive beyond the psychological level, and all can be overcome by conscious awareness and a decision to do something else. Here’s the list of ten of the worst dental habits, why they’re harmful, and what you can do i.e the tips to stop them:
Night time feeding: A majority of our bad habits start when we are children, or sometimes even when we are still infants. For example, many parents put their young children to sleep using a bottle of milk or juice. The sugars in this seemingly innocent bedtime drink can damage a child’s mouth, resulting in the phenomenon known as “bottle mouth.”
Tip: If you have started this bad habit with your children, there is an easy solution: gradually add water to the bottle each night, until eventually you are giving the child a bottle of pure water at bedtime.
Crunching hard objects: Few people keep the pits of fruit such as peaches, apricots, and plums in their mouth to suck on and then crunch on it. People enjoy snacking on popcorn kernels .It’s also commonly obseved that people after slurping down an ice-cold soda or iced tea then enjoy crunching the leftover ice. What’s the harm? The brittleness can put undue stress on a tooth and actually can cause teeth to fracture. Or they can cause microscopic cracks in the surface of the enamel, which could lead to bigger dental problems over time.
Tip:The best way to deal with this harmful dental habit is to switch to crushed ice in drinks, or better yet, substitute something that’s healthier to chew, such as carrots or apple chunks.
Using teeth as cutting tools: It is commonly observed that people rely on their teeth for a number of odd jobs such as chewing pens, pencils, handle of eyeglasses, to tear open a bag of chips, uncap a bottle of nail polish or cold drink, to straighten a bent fork, or to rip a price tag off a clothing. This can be hard on your teeth, traumatizing them or causing the edge of a weakened tooth to chip off or even fracture. In addition to causing stress fractures on your teeth, you could be irritating your joints and chewing muscles. Teeth are simply not built for this, and can easily be damaged from this type of abuse.
Tip: To help you break this habit the best principle of using the right tool for the job applies here.When cutting anything, use a knife, scissors or bottle openers and never your teeth. For overcoming the urge of chewing, you can chew gum instead, but beware: dental studies have shown that excessive gum-chewing can also cause damage to your chewing muscles.
Using wrong Toothbrush type: Some people think the firmer the toothbrush, the better. This isn’t so, especially for older adults. With advancing age, there may be certain physiological recession and gums may push back exposing the roots of the teeth often increasing sensitivity. The root is covered with cementum, which is worn away more easily than enamel. A brush with too-firm bristles may irritate the gums and lead to sensitive teeth.
Tip: Consult your dentist before buying a toothbrush to know which toothbrush might be best to maintain your dental health, depending on your individual gum and tooth problems.
Not Brushing or Flossing Properly:
Some people floss and brush their teeth regularly, but not often enough and using a wrong technique. You should aim to brush twice a day, be sure to replace your toothbrush every three or four months and always use the right technique to brush those germs away.Flossing teeth should be done properly.
Tip: If you aren’t sure if you floss properly – and dentists say many people aren’t – ask your dentist for a demonstration on your next visit. If you have children, be sure to buy them child-sized brushes so they fit their hands and mouth, and are easier to use.
Using toothpick as a substitute for dental floss:
This goes back to the principle of the right tool for the right job. A toothpick has its place, but it is not in the tight spaces between teeth. Floss is needed in these areas to remove plaque and food debris. Trying to force a toothpick into these places can injure gum tissue. Toothpicks can also break off and leave pieces of wood wedged between teeth.
Tip: Avoid use of toothpicks as far as possible as there are other better inter-cleaning aids. Just in case you use it, always be gentle with a toothpick, and never chew on one. Also, use only toothpicks with rounded ends.
Avoiding a dentist: Many people have a phobia of sitting on a dental chair for a checkup so they visit a dentist only when they have extreme pain. Also in order to save their money people try avoiding a dental visit least realising that it only accounts to a more expensive and invasive treatment in the long run.This is the most common bad habit and it is very important to be removed. Understand visiting a dentist regularly can infact help you overcome your fears apart from making you aware of what needs to be done to attain an optimum oral health.
Tip: The best way to curb this bad habit is to visit your dentist regularly.
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