Are You Being the Worst Person Ever to Your Teeth? Pt. 2
We’re going to continue on with the same topic from our last blog, since we still have a few more ways in mind that you might be damaging your teeth on a daily basis. CITIDental Brookline believes in doing quality work, but we also believe in setting up our patients for success in the future, for a lifetime legacy of great oral health. A part of that is making sure to educate our patients about good oral health habits. We don’t usually like to be negative, but we think it’s also a good idea to shed some light on the dark stuff you’ve been doing to your teeth, maybe without even knowing it.
So, now that we are letting you know, you’ll have no excuse to engage in the following activities again, right? Okay, probably not. But at least we know we said something.
Smoking
This is another one of those obvious ones that we should have covered in our first blog, but we got too excited talking about ice cubes and gummy bears. Those are much more fun than cigarettes, right? Well, we know some of our patients might not think so.
We know you don’t really need another reason to quit smoking. We’ve already given you plenty. Yes, cigarettes stain your teeth, but they also dry out your mouth, which increases plaque buildup, which can lead to tooth decay, which can lead to the end of the world. Okay, maybe not the end of the world, but it can get pretty darn bleak, all right? Smokers are just downright more likely to lose teeth than nonsmokers, that’s a medical fact. So you can only look so cool for so long being a smoker. Smoking is also a huge risk for oral cancer. Okay, that’s all we have to say about that.
Red, Red Wine
Yes, great song. Yes, it’s fun to drink a bottle of wine with your friends and get fresh with each other, but it also is an incredibly bad activity for your teeth. Can you get that wine stain out of your tablecloth? Consider what it could be doing to your teeth. Chromogen is the deep red color of the wine. Its acidic properties etch at your teeth, making them more prone to pick up stains. Tannins in the wine also stain your teeth, binding to your enamel. Wine also has tons of sugar, so there’s that.
Counteract the damage red wine is doing to your teeth by complementing it with a protein, like cheese. Order a cheese board next time you get a bottle of wine with friends. It makes you look even more sophisticated. Wearing a professor’s blazer can also help counteract the damage wine does to your teeth. Okay, that’s just a lie. That’s not true at all. But you can rinse your mouth with water while wearing your professor’s blazer after that glass of red wine at that important social function and that will actually help fight tooth damage caused by red wine. You can also chew gum (preferably sugar-free) to promote saliva production and to neutralize mouth pH.
Playing Sports Without a Mouth Guard
We see this like driving without your safety belt. It used to be thought of as cool, but now it’s just unnecessary and a darn shame any time we see somebody get needlessly hurt. We always practice preventative dentistry at CITIDental Brookline. Yeah, it might cut down on revenue, but it helps us sleep better at night.
Basketball, football, hockey, boxing, mixed martial arts, skateboarding, you should ALWAYS be wearing a mouthguard while engaging in these dangerous activities. It is estimated that 5 million teeth are knocked out every year during sporting events. The American Dental Association stated that mouth guards prevent nearly a quarter million sports-related mouth injuries each and every year. Mouth guards: Just do… them.
Teeth Grinding
This one is pretty obvious. But we know that grinding teeth can hardly be controlled. Millions upon millions of people grind their teeth. It’s called bruxism. Grinding your teeth can cause damage and chip to your tooth enamel, cracked, flat, worn-down teeth, joint problems, and even result in tooth loss. Teeth grinding often happens in your sleep. If you are experiencing problems with bruxism, it’s best to get in touch with a physician who specializes in sleep apnea and bruxism.
Well, it’s been quite the ride. We’re almost sad it’s over. Maybe one of these days we’ll come up with a topic that warrants a blog trilogy, but we’ll certainly hope that the third one isn’t like Godfather 3. Keeping your teeth safe is a daily struggle, and the struggle is certainly real. But we can help. Call CITIDental Brookline today to schedule your visit.
