4 Bad Oral Habits You Should Avoid

Grandview Dental | August 13, 2014

Keeping our teeth and gums healthy is vital to our overall quality of health. Visiting the dentist for regular checkups, flossing and brushing regularly, and eating a well balanced diet are just a few of the everyday habits to incorporate into your life. However, there are a few bad habits that you may have acquired that are hindering your dental health more than helping. Read on to see if you’re making any of these common bad dental hygiene habits.

Not Properly Brushing And Flossing

For some, brushing and flossing may be somewhat of an obsession. Then there are others who get around to only brushing once per day. Gently brushing for two minutes, two to three times a day, and flossing one to two times a day is more than sufficient and is recommended by most dentists. The two-minute time is the estimated time it takes to clean all surfaces of the mouth properly. If you can’t be bothered to keep time try purchasing a toothbrush with a built-in timer.

Using Your Teeth As Tools

We’ve all done it. Use our teeth to open bags, rip off clothing tags and whatever else you may find convenient. Though it may seem harmless at the time, it really can be traumatizing to your teeth. Using your teeth as tools can cause your teeth to weaken, which can eventually cause chipping or fracturing. Leave all of the heavy-duty work to the real tools designated to do the job.

Using A Hard Bristled Toothbrush

In a logical sense, you may think a hard bristled brush will do a better job cleaning your teeth but that assumption couldn’t be farther from the truth. Hard bristled or natural bristled toothbrushes can aggravate teeth and gums, which can lead to infection and create sensitivity by damaging enamel. The best option is to purchase a soft bristled brush, either handheld or electronic. While you may not feel the intense clean as you once did, your teeth will thank you for being gentle with them in the long run.

Over Bleaching

A good rule to follow for teeth whitening is that your teeth should never be whiter than the whites of your eyes. Most bleaching instructions recommend touch-ups every six months to a year, and those rules were written for a reason! Over bleaching can cause tooth and gum sensitivity—thankfully this damage can be reversed if the over bleaching stops.

Luckily most of these habits are easily reversible. Unless you’ve noticed any pain or changes in your oral health from doing any of the above, you can more than likely consider yourself safe from any permanent damage. Just keep in mind that there’s no better time than now to begin being conscious of how you treat your teeth and gums!