1. Drinking fizzy drinks, fruit tea, citrus drinks
2. Eating dried fruit
3. Chewing objects other than food
4. Opening packaging with your teeth
5. Being dehydrated
6. Clenching or grinding your teeth
7. Brushing too hard

1. Drinking fizzy drinks, citrus drinks, herbal tea, alcohol
Regardless if they contain sugar or sugar-free, when you have a fizzy drink, you are bathing your teeth in an acidic environment. Obviously sugary carbonated drinks are the most damaging to teeth, however citrus drinks like grapefruit, orange and certain herbal teas which contain lemon are high in acid. These acids dissolve tooth enamel over long term use which can cause sensitivity or accelerated wear to teeth. If you are going to drink beverages with higher acid content, it is recommended to rinse your mouth with water after consuming these drinks and delay tooth brushing for half an hour while your oral pH naturally returns to balance.

2. Eating dried fruit
Dried fruit usually processed with high amounts of sugar and they tend to be sticky. Having sugar sticking between and around your teeth is not ideal as they can cause dental decay. While it is misleading to think you are increasing your fruit intake, continual snacking on these sticky treats can cause dental problems. It is better to have no added sugar dried fruit and eat them in moderation. Regular tooth brushing and flossing can help to remove residual particles of dried fruit from your tooth surfaces.

3. Chewing objects other than food
Pens/pencils, glasses, nails … you name it! Teeth are not designed for hard objects and these unhygienic items can create stress fracture lines on your teeth and irritate jaw joints. If you need something to chew on, try sugar-free chewing gum.

4. Opening packaging with your teeth
Sometimes you have the urge for a quick solution for bottle lids or ripping that clothing tag off your new dress. Using your teeth in these situations can cause cracks and chips. Teeth are tools for food chewing and processing but not as scissors or bottle openers. Use the right tool for the job will you?

5. Being dehydrated
Too busy to take in the recommended eight glasses of water a day? Saliva is the best thing that happens for your teeth as they dilute the acid and wash away food remnants that stay around your teeth. Having regular water intake would allow a good amount of saliva in your mouth to help cleaning.

6. Clenching or grinding your teeth
Teeth should only come in contact for food chewing. Contact through clenching or grinding can cause added stress to teeth. If you clench during the day because of stress or grind at night because of breathing difficulties, stress or other reasons, consider seeing your doctor or our dentist at Total Care Dental Boutique to investigate the reason behind it. If you think you are contacting your teeth abnormally, try and break the habit to reduce the massive amount of pressure on your teeth. Do it for the love of your smile.

7. Brushing too hard
We tend to compensate time with pressure while brushing our teeth. This is especially true for the morning rush. Sometimes, we would put in the extra enthusiasm and hope for a better clean but in fact they wear more of our enamel, irritate or hurt our gums. In the long run, our teeth become more sensitive. Always use a soft bristle toothbrush, allow give more time and only apply light feather pressure while brushing.

Please get in touch with us today to start your beautiful smile journey.

Total Care Dental Boutique

smiling young woman in floral wreath with blossoming rose bud