7 Dental Health Mistakes You Might Be Doing Right Now

7 Dental Health Mistakes You Might Be Doing Right Now

As much as you would love to maintain your teeth healthy and ensure it’s always clean and pearly white, you might not be aware that you’re doing things which is harmful for your dental health.

Here are some of the most common dental health mistakes that you might not be aware of.

1. Not Focusing When Brushing Teeth

Many people have a habit of multitasking while brushing teeth. Do you brush while you’re in the shower, checking your emails, or while you’re trying to fix your children’s bedding? A dentist in La Mesa, CA says that you need to focus when brushing your teeth, for a complete and thorough cleaning. Avoiding any distraction allows you to focus, and ensure you maintain good dental hygiene.

2. Grinding Teeth

Bruxism is the medical term for grinding your jaw or clenching teeth. It might not be a big deal for you, but neglecting constant grinding can be detrimental to your health. Severe bruxism may cause headaches, worn and chipped teeth, jaw trouble, and changes in facial appearance.

Here are the facts about bruxism:

• The primary cause of bruxism includes abnormal bite, crooked, or missing teeth.
• Stress and anxiety may cause bruxism.
• Bruxism can also be caused by sleep disorders, like sleep apnea.

3. Low Water Intake

Not drinking enough water is a common dental health mistake. Drinking fluoridated water helps in maintaining healthy teeth. Swishing your mouth with water and drinking water is a great way to rinse accumulated acids and sugars from the teeth.

Here’s how water affects your teeth:

• Water keeps your mouth hydrated.
• It is like your saliva, and it helps wash away food particles and bacteria from the mouth.
• Water is preferred than drinking sugary or acidic drinks, which can damage the tooth enamel.

4. Too Much Juicing

Juicing is the latest trend in health and wellness, cleansing the colon and helps when you want to lose weight. However, fresh juices have corrosive acids, like lemon juice, and too much sugar or fructose, which are harmful to your teeth.

Here are some tips to protect your teeth while juicing:

• Minimize your bottled juice intake.
• Brush your teeth after juicing whenever you can.
• Rinse your mouth with water after juicing if you’re too busy or can’t find time to brush your teeth.
• If you have stains from drinking juices, check out teeth whitening Toronto for help.

5. Brushing Too Hard

Not all toothbrushes are the same. Hand-bristled brushes may cause more dental problems because they can erode the enamel if you brush too hard. While hard-bristled toothbrushes can remove plaque, your gums will suffer from a tough brush, causing gingivitis.

Here are some tips when choosing a toothbrush:

• Use a soft or extra-soft bristle toothbrush with the American Dental Association or ADA seal.
• Choose a toothbrush with a head size that is just enough to fit in your mouth comfortably.
• Change your toothbrush regularly or every 3 to 4 months. Also, change it after you’ve been ill to avoid contamination.  
• Use a regular toothbrush instead of a powered toothbrush because manual brushing cleans better.

6. Not Brushing Your Teeth at the Right Time

While it’s true that you should brush your teeth after meals, it’s a bit more complicated as you expect. Refined carbohydrates that are present in certain foods and beverages tend to increase oral bacterial growth in 20 minutes, that requires immediate brushing.

Here are some tips when brushing your teeth:

• Brush your teeth immediately after eating acidic foods, most especially if you’re wearing braces. Don’t delay because acids can strip away your tooth enamel, leading to cavities.
• Swish water or chew gum after eating acidic food to neutralize the acid in your mouth if you can’t find time to brush.

7. Ignoring Pain

Don’t ignore mouth pain because it is an indicator that there is something wrong. Once your teeth get damaged, it’s hard to bring it back to its previous state, and in many cases these are irreversible. That’s why you need to see your dentist if you feel mouth pain to rule out the problem.

Here are the things you need to know about mouth pain:

• Mouth pain can be caused by abscess and infection.
• It can also be caused by grinding your jaw or clenching your teeth.
• Pressure and temperature sensitivity may cause mouth pain.

Conclusion

The obvious dental mistakes people usually do include smoking, skipping a dental appointment, and not brushing regularly. Take control of your dental health by practicing good dental hygiene. Being aware of these mistakes will now open your mind and correct bad practices.