Proper maintenance of dental health is very essential for keeping dental health good. Brushing and flossing are the two common basic good dental habits that we have been learning since childhood.
However, there are many other bad habits too that hampers the overall dental health of the person. A better condition of the teeth is very essential to maintain a better overall condition of health.
Why is consideration of bad dental habits important?
We all might have been using teeth for different purposes and would have been lesser aware with respect to the care to take regarding dental health. It is very important to respect the condition of the teeth properly.
Although most of us take all the necessary care about dental health, there are some bad habits that can hamper dental health adversely.
This is more prominent in case of the small children, as they are least aware of dental hygiene. These few bad dental health habits can undermine many good oral care habits that can adversely affect dental health.
Here are several bad dental habits to change for improving dental health:
1. Using teeth as scissors
Many people use teeth for different purposes other than chewing food. Some of the common purposes includes opening plastic packages, cutting strings, removing tags from the cloth, etc.
Teeth are also used for cutting several other items too. This is very bad for the teeth and your teeth can experience the jerk that can loosen the teeth. This may even cause a fracture or crack in the tooth that will affect the teeth adversely.
Nail-biting is also one of the bad dental habits that can cause smaller chips on the teeth surface. Generally, nail-biting is mostly done due to anxiousness or stress. Avoiding these habits can help to avoid teeth complications.
2. Thumb sucking
Thumb sucking is mostly observed among small children. This habit can affect the tooth structure as well as the jaw structure of the individual. It slowly leads to teeth misalignment that impacts food chewing, dental issues, breathing problems, and several other problems in a person.
3. Chewing Ice
Some people may enjoy eating ice during the hot summer days and it is commonly observed among small children. The coldness in the ice causes hypersensitivity in the teeth that creates a lot of uncomfortable experiences for the individual. The ice cube hardness also causes more damage to the teeth. Understand that your teeth need to avoid chewing the ice directly.
4. Brushing hardly
As most of us know, brushing twice a day is very essential for oral health. However, if you brush very hardly then your efforts will be totally lost affecting the condition of the teeth adversely. Hard brushing can affect the gums adversely causing bleeding or irritation in the gums.
Brushing hardly will slowly keep wearing out the enamel layer from the teeth surface. This will pave the way for the plaque and tartar development on the teeth.
5. Eating unwanted things
As sweet food or drinks are mainly responsible for inviting the plaque and tartar on the teeth, you need to be extra careful regarding it. This is most commonly observed among the children as they have the habit of eating too much candy.
The sweet object gets sticks on the teeth that attract many bacteria on it. Although many people do not realize the dental bad effects of tobacco chewing and smoking, they are really bad for dental health.
These habits destroy the enamel layer of the teeth that increases the plaque and tartar development of the teeth. Tobacco chewing and smoking also lowers the blood flow in the roots of the tooth thus causing gum problems like Gingivitis and Periodontitis.
These are some of the common bad dental habits that need to be changed to avoid teeth destruction. Apart from these, avoiding brushing and flossing habits on a daily basis are the primary bad dental habits that can cause dental health issues.
How can we teach children about bad dental health habits?
Small children are more prone to bad dental health habits that can cause different dental issues. They need to be educated about these things. Also, special attention must be given to check the bad dental habits of the children. A proper guidance of the good dental habits must be inculcated in them regularly.
There has been an increasing awareness about the dental care to take, so keep acquiring the knowledge about it regularly. Although you avoid all bad habits and follow good dental habits, doing it regularly is important. A regular visit to the dentist can help to identify many of the different issues. It will help to take early dental health treatment.
Expert's Opinions
Dr. Rupali Gujar Dental Director of Sabka dentist says "For keeping good dental health, a person must know the habits that affect dental health. Dental experts suggest avoiding bad dental habits that affect dental health adversely. Parents must take special care of the children to avoid bad habits. Following a proper dental habit can help improve oral health."
Pursued her BDS degree From Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune Dr. Preethi Nagrajan is a successful dentist. She completed her graduation in 2009. She is not only an enormous dentist but also accomplished her MBA in healthcare and hospital management from Tamil Nadu University in 2013. She has also acquired a Diploma in Laser and Implant dentistry from LALD. This paved the way for her to become a specialist in Painless Laser Treatment, endodontics, oral surgery, prosthodontics, periodontology, FMR, and smile designing. Her experience and knowledge have allowed her to publish numerous articles in various international journals. Dr. Preethi currently works as Dental Director at Sabka Dentist and has worked with the organization for over 8 years.
