Things your dentist wishes you knew about your daily habits

Your regular dental checkup and dental cleaning appointments are just the tip of the iceberg of your complete oral health care routine. Your daily habits and lifestyle shape the total picture of your oral health. We all know that skipping our exams and cleanings, or forgetting to floss will put our oral health at risk, but there are many lifestyle factors with adverse oral health effects that we do not realize. In this blog we cover the most common 10 habits we see in our daily professional dental care practice in downtown Saskatoon.

Biting your nails
People who chew on their nails will repeatedly use the same teeth without realizing that they are causing excessive wear on that one spot, making it vulnerable to decay and easy breakage

Chewing ice
Chewing on ice or hard candy can speed up erosive pressure on the enamel, especially if done habitually.

Grinding your teeth
When we are stressed, many of us have a subconscious physiological habit of clenching or grinding our teeth. This causes gradual wear and tear on the same spots on our teeth which can damage the enamel.

Snoring and mouth-breathing
If you snore, your mouth is probably open while you sleep and that means your mouth is dry for most of the night time hours. Our saliva plays an important role in mitigating the accumulation of oral bacteria that cause a host of problems. Without saliva, our oral health is at risk. Read Why does your dentist care if you snore? Discover the best sleep apnea treatment.

Vaping or Smoking
The propylene glycol in vape juice breaks down into acids that damage the enamel and irritate the gums. It also causes dry mouth which makes it harder for your saliva to manage the accumulation of bacteria that cause gingivitis, decay, and bad breath. For more details on this, check out our blog: Smoking, Vaping & Your Teeth: Cannabis, Nicotine, Tobacco

Wearing a mask
When we wear masks, we are more prone to dry mouth which can change the microbiome of the mouth and increase bad breath and other oral health concerns. We’re not saying don’t wear masks—but that we should be aware that mask wearing can have a drying effect for the mouth, and take extra care to stay hydrated.

Frequent snacking
The more frequently we expose our teeth to sugar and acid in food and drink, the harsher the attack on our enamel.

Opening packaging with teeth
People who use their teeth as a built-in, all-in-one multi tool will have weak and worn enamel, making their teeth more vulnerable to decay and damage such as cracks or chips. 

Brushing your teeth immediately after eating
When our teeth are exposed to dietary acids and sugars, our enamel is temporarily softened. Brushing our teeth at this time can actually speed up the erosion of our enamel. It’s best to wait 30 minutes or more after eating to brush our teeth. 

Drinking coffee
The acidity of coffee threatens the tooth enamel and the dark pigmentation dulls tooth brightness and causes dental stains.

The best dentist understands how general lifestyle factors influence oral health for Saskatonians.
During your regular exam and check up, your professional oral health care team will ask you questions about your diet and lifestyle to identify any areas of potential oral health concern. Take a look at our Top 6 Practices Required for Good Oral Health. When you are informed about the impacts of seemingly harmless daily habits that influence your oral health, you can make adjustments to protect your teeth and gums!