Have you ever been guilty of one of these bad dental habits? If so, you’re in luck: It’s not too late to break out of your routine and start fresh!
1. Too many sugary drinks.
When was the last time you went a whole day just drinking water? Contrary to what your body is telling you, you don’t actually need a Venti Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks every morning. You also don’t need that Pepsi at lunch every day. We’re all guilty of drinking too many sugary drinks, that’s clear. But what we don’t know is just how bad they are for our teeth. If you keep your 32oz Dr. Pepper at your desk and sip on it all afternoon, you’re keeping a layer of sugars on your teeth that entire time. Every once in a while that might not cause issues, but making this a daily habit will almost certainly lead to dental cavities. Try sticking to water as often as possible. Or, if that’s just not possible for your morning coffee cravings, take a few big gulps of water after drinking something with sugar to help rinse those sugars off your teeth.
When was the last time you went a whole day just drinking water? Contrary to what your body is telling you, you don’t actually need a Venti Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks every morning. You also don’t need that Pepsi at lunch every day. We’re all guilty of drinking too many sugary drinks, that’s clear. But what we don’t know is just how bad they are for our teeth. If you keep your 32oz Dr. Pepper at your desk and sip on it all afternoon, you’re keeping a layer of sugars on your teeth that entire time. Every once in a while that might not cause issues, but making this a daily habit will almost certainly lead to dental cavities. Try sticking to water as often as possible. Or, if that’s just not possible for your morning coffee cravings, take a few big gulps of water after drinking something with sugar to help rinse those sugars off your teeth.
2. Not flossing every day.
We all know that we’re supposed to floss every day, but that doesn’t mean that we end up following through. It’s so easy to get busy putting the kids to sleep, cleaning up the kitchen, or binge-watching Netflix, that we end up heading straight to bed. But when you don’t floss, you’re leaving sugars, bacteria, and even bits of food stuck between your teeth for hours while you sleep. Most of the cavities we see are from people forgetting to floss enough! Luckily, this is an easy bad habit to fix. Just keep a bag of flossers, or a roll of floss, next to the TV and floss while you finish the last season of The Walking Dead. You can even keep a bag flossers in the car and have your kids floss on the way home from soccer practice!
We all know that we’re supposed to floss every day, but that doesn’t mean that we end up following through. It’s so easy to get busy putting the kids to sleep, cleaning up the kitchen, or binge-watching Netflix, that we end up heading straight to bed. But when you don’t floss, you’re leaving sugars, bacteria, and even bits of food stuck between your teeth for hours while you sleep. Most of the cavities we see are from people forgetting to floss enough! Luckily, this is an easy bad habit to fix. Just keep a bag of flossers, or a roll of floss, next to the TV and floss while you finish the last season of The Walking Dead. You can even keep a bag flossers in the car and have your kids floss on the way home from soccer practice!
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3. Using our teeth as tools.
Ever had to tie your fishing line and didn’t have a knife with you? You probably used your teeth to cut off that extra line. If you don’t fish, how about when you just can’t get that bag of pasta open while you are cooking dinner? We’ve all been there, but unfortunately this habit causes a lot of chipped teeth. Throw a pair of nail trimmers in your fishing box so a fun trip doesn’t result in a dental visit. When you’re in the kitchen, take the extra second and reach over to the drawer and use a pair of scissors. Your teeth are valuable tools, but they should only be used for chewing! |
4. Eating sticky candy.
Trust us, we love a good piece of salt water taffy just as much as the next person, but if you’ve had any dental work done on your back teeth you need to be careful with sticky candy. You won’t be laughing when that Laffy Taffy pulls out a filling. At our office, we’ve seen many old crowns have been removed several years too soon because of sticky, sugary treats like Jujubes. You can still eat candy, but be careful! Try chewing on the side without dental restorations (if you have one still) or sucking on them until they become easier to chew. If possible though, a different snack next time you’re at the movies.
Trust us, we love a good piece of salt water taffy just as much as the next person, but if you’ve had any dental work done on your back teeth you need to be careful with sticky candy. You won’t be laughing when that Laffy Taffy pulls out a filling. At our office, we’ve seen many old crowns have been removed several years too soon because of sticky, sugary treats like Jujubes. You can still eat candy, but be careful! Try chewing on the side without dental restorations (if you have one still) or sucking on them until they become easier to chew. If possible though, a different snack next time you’re at the movies.