Daily, we all follow good oral habits like brushing our teeth. But we often indulge in some activities that may harm our teeth. Bad habits are easy to grasp but unfortunately difficult to break. People don’t realize that these normal-looking habits are actually ruining their teeth. Here are 6 habits that are actually bad habits for your teeth.

1. Drinking a lot of  soda, soft drinks, or citric fruit juices

These drinks remove enamel coating from your teeth. Enamel is an outer protective coating on your teeth which is hard compared to the inner parts of teeth. If enamel gets washed away from your teeth you may start experiencing sensitivity after having cold and hot beverages. The best way to save enamel is to reduce the intake, using straws and rinsing your mouth with water for about 20-30 seconds after ingestion of these drinks.

2. Acidity and regular vomiting

Some people have a habit to vomit whenever they have acidity, some follow the Ayurvedic Vamana therapy without guidance and some people with eating disorders like bulimia often do purging to get rid of extra food in fear of gaining weight. In our digestive system whenever food goes inside the stomach it becomes acidic to digest it. During vomiting or purging, this acidic food comes back to the oral cavity.  These acids wear off enamel from the teeth. The frequent habit of purging may result in erosion of your teeth and you may start experiencing sensitivity.

3. Nail/pen/pencil biting or pin holding in front teeth

This kind of habit chips off enamel from your teeth. It results in an unesthetic look and causes sensitivity of teeth. In the worst conditions, it may cause a tooth fracture.

4. Using your tooth to open your beer or tearing plastic tags?

Well, even this can chip off and fracture enamel and teeth. Gives you one more reason to have sensitive teeth! And if a tooth gets a lot of fractures, it may require removal. So, it’s wise to use a bottle opener or a scissor the next time you chill out or shop.

5. Brushing hard

The most common false belief is if I clean my teeth with force, they will get cleaned better. But unfortunately, it is not true! This can damage the enamel on your teeth. If you are using a toothbrush with hard bristles, it applies maximum pressure during brushing and creates notches on your teeth, gum recession, sensitivity, and abrasive loss of tooth structure near the gums.

Some people have a habit of biting on their toothbrushes. If your toothbrush bristles get spread out or splayed, and you continue to use such a toothbrush, this can also damage your teeth. So, if you observe your toothbrush bristles getting spread out, then that means it’s time to have a new toothbrush. Usually, toothbrushes must be changed once every 3 months.

6. Clenching and bruxism habit

Clenching and bruxism habits damage your teeth by removing enamel and dentin. That may result in fractured teeth, unesthetic looks, and shortened and sensitive teeth. So, if you think you have clenching and bruxism habits, consult your dentist and have night guards made by your dentist. A night guard is an appliance that you need to wear during sleep for tooth protection. Clenching and bruxism are usually due to stress.  so, keep your mind as calm as possible. You can do meditation for the same.

            Visit your dentist regularly once a year to check your oral health status of yours on our website, contact us about the right method of brushing, and the right toothbrush to use. If ever you find sensitive teeth because of the habits mentioned above, consult your dentist. Your dentist can suggest you the available treatment options for you.