Over a lifetime of use, teeth wear down. It’s important to avoid certain habits and maintain others in order to best protect your teeth’s health. Here are some bad habits to watch for and good ones to follow to help keep your teeth healthy for as long as possible.

Bad Habits that Harm Oral Health:

Failing to brush and floss regularly leads to a host of dental complications: gingivitis, decay, and eventual tooth loss. After 24 hours of failing to brush, plaque hardens to tartar, the hard bacterial deposits that destroy teeth. Brushing at least twice a day ensures plaque and bacteria is removed before they cause damage.

Too much brushing, on the other hand, can also harm teeth. Applying too much pressure during your brushing routine damages the enamel, the protective outer layer of teeth, and forces gums to recede.

Grinding and chewing on hard food or ice causes unnecessary wear on teeth, which can eventually lead to a weakened dental structure.

Using teeth as tools can wreak havoc on the anatomical structure of teeth. Such teeth become susceptible to chips, cracks, and fractures.

Constant snacking increases the length of time bacteria lingers in the mouth, which increases the likelihood bacteria will produce acids that harm enamel. Reducing the amount of time foods stays in the mouth directly reduces the amount of pathogens that make contact with the surface of teeth.

Keeping Up with a Healthy Routine

While avoiding these bad habits greatly improve a person’s chances of resisting dental complications, committing to these good habits increases their ability to combat dental issues and promote overall wellness.

Brushing, flossing, and rinsing with non-alcoholic antiseptic mouthwash regularly is the best combination of daily habits that can help patients improve their dental hygiene and stay on course towards a lifetime of healthy smiles. As mentioned earlier, brushing and flossing removes plaque before it can turn to tarter, while rinsing with antiseptic mouthwash reduces the amount of bacteria left after brushing.

Discover new at-home remedies. There are plenty of health trends on the internet that actually work, like oil pulling and brushing with activated charcoal. Many of these have been proven to reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth and improve overall health through proper hygiene, helping you to find easy ways to keep your teeth healthy and beautiful!

Visiting the dental office twice a year allows your dentist to eliminate the tartar that regular brushing and flossing cannot remove. Dentist also diagnose existing issues while suggesting solutions to dental problems.

Find Out More!

Learn how quality dental care can improve your teeth and bring out the natural beauty in your smile! Call or visit Emerald Coast Dentistry in Fort Walton Beach and schedule an appointment with Dr. Erin Sutton or Dr. Thomas Hill.