Beyond Brushing: 5 Habits Ruining Your Teeth

Brushing and flossing are non-negotiable for a healthy mouth, but are they enough? The reality is, your daily habits—both big and small—play a crucial role in the health of your teeth. From the drinks you sip throughout the day to the way you bite your nails when you're stressed, these actions can lead to serious dental problems. In this blog post, we'll reveal five everyday habits that are putting your teeth at risk and give you the knowledge you need to protect your smile for years to come.

1 - Teeth grinding (Bruxism)

Bruxism is the medical term for the habit of unconsciously clenching or grinding your teeth. This can happen day or night, often as a response to stress or a sleep disorder. The repeated grinding motion exerts tremendous force on your teeth, leading to a host of problems. It can wear away your tooth enamel, the hard, protective outer layer, leaving your teeth vulnerable to decay and sensitivity. Over time, this can lead to cracked or fractured teeth, and it can also cause existing dental work to fail. The pressure from clenching and grinding can also lead to chronic jaw pain, headaches, and facial muscle soreness as a result of the constant strain on your jaw joints and muscles.

2 - Using your teeth as a tool

Your teeth are designed for chewing, not for acting as tools. Using them to do things like opening bottles or biting your nails puts them at risk of severe damage. The sideways or twisting forces involved in these actions are very different from the simple, up-and-down chewing motions teeth are made for. This can easily lead to chipping, cracking, or breaking a tooth. For instance, using your teeth to open a package can cause a sudden fracture, while biting your nails repeatedly can slowly wear down the edges of your front teeth. These seemingly harmless habits can weaken your dental structure and result in expensive and painful dental work down the line.

3 - Chewing on hard objects

While it might be a nervous habit or a way to pass the time, chewing on hard objects can be very destructive to your teeth. Hard items, such as ice, popcorn kernels, and even the tips of pencils, are unforgiving and can easily lead to a broken or cracked tooth. The immense force exerted on a single point can cause the enamel to shatter or chip, leaving the inner, more sensitive layers of the tooth exposed. This not only increases the risk of tooth decay and sensitivity but can also cause damage to the jaw joint (TMJ) and facial muscles from the constant, excessive pressure.

4 - Brushing too hard

Far from being beneficial, brushing your teeth too hard can be one of the most damaging daily habits for your smile. This forceful technique can cause the gums to recede, a process that exposes the sensitive root of the tooth, which is not protected by enamel. This can lead to increased sensitivity and make your teeth more susceptible to decay. Furthermore, the aggressive scrubbing can literally wear down the tooth enamel itself, which once gone, can never grow back. The cumulative effect of this habit is a compromised dental structure that is more prone to a range of issues, from discolouration to serious cavities.

5 - Frequent snacking and sipping

The constant intake of snacks and beverages throughout the day, beyond regular meals, puts your teeth at a greater risk of damage. When you snack or sip on sugary or acidic items, you're repeatedly fuelling the bacteria in your mouth. These bacteria produce acids that attack and demineralise your tooth enamel. While your mouth's natural defences, like saliva, can repair this damage, they need time to work. Frequent snacking and sipping prevent this recovery process, leading to a prolonged period of acid attack that can weaken your teeth and make them more susceptible to decay.