Save Your Teeth from Secret Damage!

General Dentistry in Mentor OH Explains How Patients Can Harm their Teeth Without Knowing

Everybody knows that there are obvious ways to harm your teeth—forgetting to brush and eating lots of candies are the popular ones that come to mind. But there are other situations that patients can harm their teeth and they may not even know it! To bring light to these scenarios, your general dentistry in Mentor OH is here to show patients how they could be harming their smile.

Teeth Grinding
This is a common, unconscious occurrence that usually happens to patients while they’re sleeping. Bruxism usually goes untreated because patients aren’t aware that they’re causing damage to their teeth. When you grind your teeth, you’re slowly but surely wearing your teeth down to the point where it’ll be noticeable when you smile. Your teeth also become sensitive, making it difficult to eat and drink without having sharp pains.

Snacking
You’re only meant to eat three meals a day, so eating in between these meals is harming your teeth. If you eat in between meals, you’re not allowing your teeth any sort of relief from the food particles and bacteria that have been sitting in your mouth from your previous meal. And, since it’s important to clean your teeth after a meal (by rinsing your mouth out with water or brushing your teeth), you’re less likely to do so after eating a snack. Your enamel is being constantly worn down and unable to protect the center of each tooth.

Chewing on Items, Not Foods
Keep your teeth to the foods! People who indulge in bad habits like biting their fingernails, chewing on their pen caps, and using their teeth as tools are more likely to chip, crack, break or even lose their teeth. Your teeth aren’t made for the pressure of other items that aren’t food, so make sure you stick to the basics.

To learn about more habits that you should avoid, contact your general dentistry in Mentor OH by calling our office at 440-357-1222 today!