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Don't Let Dieting Impact Your Oral Health

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Don't Let Dieting Impact Your Oral Health

Like many people who need to lose a few pounds, I try diet after diet in an attempt to find one that finally works for me. I learned the hard way that I need to make sure any diet will not harm my teeth, even if it does help me lose a few pounds. I learned this lesson when following a grapefruit diet. There are many versions of this, but the version I tried had me eat a grapefruit alone several times each day. It was supposed to suppress my appetite. I helped keep me from munching on unhealthy snacks, but the acid in the fruit took a toll on my tooth enamel and I quickly started getting lots of cavities. I created this blog to remind people that change up their diets often to make sure the foods they are eating are not harming their teeth.

3 Bad Habits That Can Harm Your Oral Health

22 August 2018
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

When it comes to your oral health, you might have some bad habits that are actually harming your teeth. That's why it's so important to break these habits to prevent damage from occurring. Here are three bad habits you may currently be doing that could result in a need for dentistry services.

Chewing on Ice

You may love the sensation of chewing on ice cubes leftover after drinking a beverage. Unfortunately, this can cause some serious dental issues. Ice cubes are very hard, and you can damage a tooth by chipping off a small piece of it. Chewing on ice also puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on the teeth and, if done frequently enough, can cause them to wear down the protective layer of enamel on them. Your teeth were never meant to chew on ice, so try to stop yourself from doing it.

One easy trick is to chill your beverages in the refrigerator so that you don't need ice. You could also put beverages in a travel cup and drink out of a straw, which stops you from opening the lid and having easy access to the ice.

Brushing Teeth Too Hard

You can actually damage your teeth when you are brushing, since putting too much pressure on them can cause damage to your tooth enamel. This is caused by the bristles scratching the surface because you think your teeth need a hard scrubbing. Hard brushing can also put pressure on your gums, cause bleeding, and lead to receding gums and sensitivity.

Try switching to a toothbrush that has soft bristles, and brush slowly and take your time. Rushing through your regular brushing sessions often causes people to use excessive force.

Drinking Soda

The acidic nature of soda can lead to wearing down tooth enamel, which is what makes it easier for your teeth to form cavities in them. This is not just limited to sodas with sugar in them, since diet sodas can have the same effect. This is due to acid sitting on the teeth all day after drinking the soda, and it causes the enamel to become soft.

Drinking more water is always good for you. If you can't break the habit, try rinsing out your mouth with water after sipping on soda. You can also use a straw so that the soda doesn't wash over your teeth.

These are just a few habits that could be causing harm to your teeth. Talk to your dentist to know what other habits you should change.