7 Major Mistakes That Damage Our Teeth

Anyone on this planet can agree that a smile is the best feature of a face. A good smile is a characteristic of beauty! And a good smile includes those pearly whites. Teeth are the most vital part of our face and body. A good set of teeth defines our smile, speech, and confidence.

The key to dazzling smile and unwavering confidence lies in excellent oral health. What is oral health?  World Health Organization defines oral health as a state of being free from all chronic mouth diseases, facial pain, oral and throat cancer, tooth decay, gum disease, and other diseases that limit an individual’s capacity in chewing, biting, speaking and smiling and mental wellbeing. 

That said, good oral hygiene and routine become absolute. Some of us are following a good oral routine – some of us are skipping stuff, and some of us are doing unnecessary things. Well, taking care of teeth is not rocket science. But over time you forget some basic things or get swopped on internet faux. And they are developing bad habits for your oral routine. We have made here a list of seven major mistakes you are doing in your oral care.

• Skipping Dentist Appointment

Avoiding going to a dentist is a significant mistake. Even if you are ideally taking care of your mouth – you should visit dentists for more thorough inspections. American Dental Association (ADA) recommends you should visit your dentist twice a year. Why should I visit the dentist twice a year?

Many dental problems are not visible until they are in very advanced stages. Examples include gum diseases, tooth decay, and cancer. These diseases may onset without causing any pain or noticeable changes. Dentists can look out for the early signs of such issues and provide further treatment or advice.

You might think you are correctly flossing and brushing. But brush and floss can’t reach on the tacky parts of teeth. A dentist will give more cleaning to your teeth and get rid of plaque or tartar present on teeth. Certain people in high-risk conditions need to visit dentists more frequently. The people with high risk are – a) Patients with weak immune system b) Diabetics c) Individuals who tend to have regular cavities d) People with gum disease e) Smokers f) Pregnant women.

Don’t be afraid of all the treatments. Talk to your dentist about all the doubts you have. Ignoring dental issues will lead to more problems and pain in the future. And don’t worry about pain, today there are many ranges of painless treatments. Fire up your search engine and find a painless dentist near me. Everything will be for your benefit.

• Smoking

“Smoking is injurious to your health” this quote pretty much sums up everything related to smokers. We already know smoking is harmful to the heart and lungs. Besides that, smoking, it is killing your pearly whites! It’s staining your teeth to ugly yellow.

Watch out, smokers. You are more prone to severe gum diseases because nicotine compromises with an immune system that fights infection in your mouth. Even your oral routine can’t save you – as you are prone to oral cancer. Seek dentist help now if you have doubts. Try to avoid smoking!

• Popping Sugary drinks

Sugar is the main culprit behind tooth decay. Our mouth has tons of bacteria – so when we eat or drink sugars, the bacteria react with it and produce acids. These acids dissolve and damage teeth. Sugary beverages like juices have high levels of sugar, which significantly contribute to tooth decay.

Regular soft drinks and sodas or energy drinks have high levels of acids and sugar too. They attack teeth causing tooth erosion leading to sensitive teeth and tooth decay. Healthcare specialist says that each acid attacks last around 20 minutes. So if you are one of those high on soda and sugar drink, you are on setting tooth decay every sip you drink.

Just avoid drinking too many sugary drinks. Water is an excellent solution for it! No sugar content and No acid. And very good for your overall health.

• Wrong toothbrush and toothpaste

When was the last time you replaced your brush? ADA recommends you should get a new brush every three months. The bristles of the brush get damaged or frayed. The worn-out toothbrush won’t help clean the teeth properly. Get the soft-bristled toothbrush. Hard bristle could damage the enamel of your teeth.

Don’t cover your toothbrush with covers. You may think it’s hygienic, but it’s not! Covering a wet brush may accelerate the growth of unwanted bacteria. Let the brush be in the open air. Always keep your brush upright without touching any other brushes.

People sharing brushes – Stop doing it! You are sharing your germs and bacteria with others. Tooth diseases are highly transmissible. If you’re having some dental issues, you are giving out to your loved ones too.

If you are one of those who are an onboard trend with charcoal toothpaste – it might be a mistake. Activated charcoal is mildly abrasive, so it might help with cleaning surface stains. But no evidence suggests it helps in teeth whitening. Overuse of charcoal toothpaste can damage your teeth. Plus, charcoal stains your teeth to pale yellow coloration, and we don’t want that!

The same goes for more whitening toothpaste. You shouldn’t use whitening toothpaste without dentist advice. Even if you are going to use it, just follow the instructions. Whitening toothpaste contains chemicals that are polishing your teeth to white. Overuse can lead to damage in the enamel of teeth and can make teeth sensitive.

Toothpaste is the key element of good oral care. According to ADA, good toothpaste must contain fluoride. Fluorides make teeth strong and help cleaning of plaque effectively.

• Bad brushing and flossing habits

Most of the folks are brushing their teeth with the wrong methods. One of the methods is pressing the toothbrush too hard. Pressing hard will bend the bristles of the brush and won’t clean teeth. Plus, if you scrub teeth hard will wear down the enamel, leading to teeth damage.

Many are brushing teeth while going through their timeline on Facebook, Instagram, or twitter with brush sitting in their mouth. This activity is damaging your teeth – how? a) You are distracted and not brushing effectively; b) the brush and toothpaste are sitting in your mouth for a long time, which is eroding teeth and gums.

The correct way of brushing teeth twice a day for two minutes. Don’t forget to brush the gums too. Follow the proper steps or visit your dentist to know the correct brushing methods.

Many people are skipping flossing. Let alone knowing the correct methods – many are just not flossing teeth regularly. We all know how and what flossing does still many of us are lazy. Flossing cleans out all the stuck debris and plaque between the teeth. This may help to prevent tooth decay and gum diseases. Floss twice a day; it doesn’t matter if you did it before or after brushing.

• Ignoring good food and supplements

We all love the taste of fast foods like pizza, burgers, and whatnot! Plus, there are snacks like potato chips and crisps. We went above on soda and sugary beverages. Snacking on these foods and drinks is like a new norm. They are the preeminent cause of tooth decay and diseases. People tend to ignore good fresh foods, which are healthy for them.

Fresh fruits and veggies are the best foods for healthy teeth because of their nutritional health benefits. Raw vegetables and crisp fruits help clean plaque and freshen breath naturally.

Have you ever considered you might be suffering from vitamin or mineral deficiency? Vitamins and minerals are essential components of bones and teeth. That said, calcium and vitamin D are necessary for maintaining strong and healthy teeth. Women and adults over the age of 60 may be deficient in calcium, and vitamin D. Get your dentist’s advice on what supplements you need to maintain healthy teeth.

• Reaching social media for advice

Yes! All of us are on the internet, searching for some kind of advice. Many are even like “my favorite celebrity is doing this and that…so I’m going to do the same” People don’t understand experts give the celebrity routine or treatments as per their issues or whatever problems they have. That doesn’t necessarily mean it is suitable for you.

The same goes for oral health care too. You need to visit your practitioner or dentist to solve your issues. Don’t rely on social media.

The conclusion is that it’s not very difficult to keep a good oral health routine. Kudos to people who are already perfect in their oral hygiene! People, it’s effortless to follow brushing for 2 minutes twice a day. You are just not making sure your oral health is good but also preventing deadly diseases. Good oral health will give such confidence to flaunt your teeth, and you will never stop smiling.