Dentist Antioch Avoid Harmful Habits

Antioch Dentist Saves Your Smile

There are certain habits that your dentist in Antioch CA wants to warn patients about. Certain things that people do can cause great harm to their teeth, and they don’t even realize it! It is important to be conscious about our bad habits so that we can work on breaking them.
 
Below are 5 common habits that are bad for your teeth:
 
1. Chewing on ice: Ice may be just frozen water, but it is hard and can be sharp. Ice can cause damage to your gums as well as your teeth, especially if you chew on it. It can cause you to crack a tooth or worse, even loose teeth!
 
2. Opening things with your teeth: We all are guilty of doing this at some point or another. Sometimes we just need a better grip on something, and using our teeth seems like a good idea at the time. However, using your teeth as tools can cause them to crack or break.
 
3. Consuming sports drinks: Just like soda and candy, sports drinks tend to be high in sugar. Sugar is extremely bad for your teeth because it feeds the bacteria which results in acid eating away at the enamel. Try to avoid sports drinks as much as possible—when working out, water is always the best choice!
 
4. Avoid drinking fruit juice: Orange juice, apple juice, and many other fruit juices may seem like a good idea because they are healthy, but often times they are loaded with a ton of extra sugar. Fruit juice can be just as damaging to your teeth as the soda can be. Fruits are naturally sweet so try finding juices with no added sugar. You can also try diluting the juice with water.
 
5. Avoid eating starchy foods such as potato chips: Potato chips and other starchy foods provide a feeding ground for bacteria. They tend to get stuck between your teeth and this can lead to irritation and/or cavities. If you are going to eat  chips or other starchy foods, brush and floss your teeth shortly afterward.
 
These are just some of the things you should try and avoid if you wish to maintain healthy teeth. For more tips on what not eat, contact East Bay Dental. If you think you may have a cavity or need dental work, call (925) 777-1719 to schedule an appointment!