People use their teeth for all kinds of crazy things. But, the problem is they shouldn’t. Teeth are strong, but not unbreakable. If you’re doing any of these crazy things, stop.
Opening Beer Bottles
Look, you can open beer bottles with a lot of things. Your teeth shouldn’t be one of them. A person using their teeth to open a bottle may seem like a cool party trick, but it can chip or crack your teeth. The hard, metallic bottle cap can lead to erosion of your enamel, too. Save your teeth for chomping food. Use a bottle opener, and call it a day.
Packages
The same is true for packaging. Some people “chew” their way into a package that’s particularly difficult to open. No good. If you can’t pull it open with your hands, use scissors. It might not seem particularly damaging, but tearing with your teeth can damage your enamel or chip your teeth.
The Lip Ring
It’s a fashion statement. Understandable. At the same time, it’s bad for teeth. The small metallic pieces constantly clang against your tooth structure and can scratch, chip, or crack teeth. You may not be able to see them, either because they can cause micro-fractures. Over time, your tooth can become so weak, it “suddenly” cracks and falls apart.
Smoking
Don’t put a cigarette in your mouth. Makes it difficult to smoke, right? That’s the point. It should come as no surprise smoking is terrible for your tooth structure. In addition to causing lung cancer, it can stain your teeth, and it also promotes gum disease — yum.
When it’s all said and done, you’ll be left with yellow teeth which are prone to falling out.
Biting Your Nails
A lot of people bite their nails. It’s a bad habit you should definitely stop doing. Every time you bite your nail, you create micro-fractures which slowly erode your tooth enamel. Breaking your nervous habit might be hard, but work on it. Use a stress ball to de-stress instead of biting.
Playing Sports
A lot of people play sports without a mouth guard or face cage. It’s astounding. If MVP basketball player Stephen Curry can wear a mouthguard, so can you. Contact sports including football and hockey are especially dangerous, so always wear protection. If you can afford it, wear custom molded gear for maximum protection.
Chewing Ice Cubes
It doesn’t seem like much of a big deal, but it is. Chewing on ice can be bad for tooth enamel and painful if you have fillings.
Sugary Foods
It’s food, right? Well, sort of. Sugary foods are food for resident bacterial. The problem is some of those bacteria are pathogenic. When they eat the sugar, they produce acid waste which eats away (literally) the enamel of your tooth. Once this happens, you open yourself up for more serious problems, both from the loss of enamel and from the bacteria.
Carolyn Hill works in the field of cosmetic dentistry, making it her mission to create a gorgeous smile for everyone who wants one! She is also keen to educate and writes about what you can do to keep your smile perfect.
