Are You Guilty of Doing These Things?

Not all habits are good habits… especially when it comes to looking after our smiles. Here are our top four habits that we think every person should work on to protect their teeth and gums:

1. Not keeping up with a proper oral care routine
   In order to maintain a truly healthy smile, a person needs to be brushing twice daily for at least two minutes at a time, and needs to also be flossing at least once a day. Any less, and your oral hygiene routine is falling short! Be sure to time yourself every time you brush, or use your toothbrush’s built-in timer if it has one. And if you aren’t flossing every day, you’re increasing your risk for gum disease and tooth decay in between the teeth… so show those gums love daily!
2. Snacking frequently (especially on carbohydrates or sugars)
   Frequent snacking is a habit that your teeth aren’t particularly fond of… unless you’re snacking on fresh veggies and foods that don’t promote tooth decay. Take it from our Hamilton dentist: you can reduce your risk of developing cavities by limiting the number of instances you snack on foods that are carbohydrate or sugar-based, like breads, cereals, cookies, pastas, candies, crackers, cakes… the list goes on!
3. Biting your nails or biting hard objects
   Biting down on hard things is very bad for your teeth… especially if you make a habit of it. The more force you exert onto your precious teeth, the more likely you are to eventually experience chipping or a fracture… which could, in the worst case scenario, sever the nerve or pulp of the tooth… requiring serious intervention.
4. Smoking
   Last, but definitely not least, smoking is one of the worst habits you can take up for not only your oral health, but your general health, as well. Smoking creates an unhealthy, dry and bacteria-promoting environment in the mouth… not to mention; it also causes a nasty “smoker’s breath” and yellows the teeth. Ick.

We hope you don’t take up any of these bad habits regularly… or at all! If you’re motivated to get back on track to excellent oral health, or are due for a cleaning and check-up, give us a call today!