Beware of these common activities that can seriously damage your teeth

Tuesday, May 17, 2016 by: Sarah Landers
Tags: tooth damage, simple mistakes, lifestyle tips

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(NaturalNews) Healthy teeth mean a better smile – which can completely change both the way you look and your self-confidence. Dr. Dawn Ewing, executive director of the International Academy of Biological Medicine, and author of Let The Tooth Be Known, has linked poor tooth health with chronic diseases such as breast cancer, showing just how important it is to keep your mouth healthy. And yet many dentists recognize that their patients are making a few small mistakes that could have a huge impact on the health of their teeth.

According to Dr. Tariq Idrees, a dentist at Carisbrook Dental Clinic in Manchester, people make simple mistakes that can do serious harm to their teeth, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Common mistakes that damage teeth

Everyday eating habits take their toll on teeth over time; the extent of the damage caused depends on individual diets and general habits, from swilling wine around the mouth to drinking too much tea.

Here are some of the ways that you might unknowingly be damaging your teeth on a daily basis:

• Going swimming on a regular basis in a chlorine-filled pool can affect your teeth, as chlorine has been linked with the erosion of tooth enamel. The effect of chlorine on teeth has been documented in both the American Journal of Dentistry and the Journal of the Canadian Dental Association, as reported by the Daily Mail.

• Wine lovers will be horrified to learn that swilling wine around the mouth might be good for tasting the flavor, but actually coats the teeth in acid that causes erosion. White wine is more acidic than red, and fizzy wine such as prosecco is notably worse again, because the gas inside is also acidic.

• Chewing the ice cubes in a refreshing beverage can actually cause teeth to fracture, due to the cold temperature and the brittleness of the ice. Over time, microscopic cracks can form on the surface of the tooth's enamel, which can exacerbate dental problems in the long term.

• Eating a lot of dried fruit can cause damage to your teeth because fruit is highly acidic. Raisins, cranberries, mangoes and pineapples are the worst, and when they are dried the texture means that they stick to the teeth, making the damage worse.

• Drinking tea or coffee is terrible for your teeth, because these drinks dry out the mouth, making teeth more susceptible to decay. They can also stain teeth over time, giving them a dull and dirty appearance.

• Hot water and lemon has been falsely advertised as a healthy alternative to drinking tea and coffee – but this also causes tooth erosion and should be avoided.

• Over-brushing with a hard-bristled toothbrush can do a great deal of damage to your teeth, irritating the gums which push back with age to expose the roots of the teeth. The root is covered with cementum and this can be worn away much more easily than enamel.

• Brushing straight after drinking fizzy or acidic drinks can worsen the damage done by the erosive chemicals themselves, because the acid burns into the enamel of the teeth and the brush can drive the acid deeper into the teeth.

• Tongue or lip piercings can do damage to the teeth by rubbing against the enamel on a regular basis, as well as by chipping away at teeth during eating.

• Using teeth as tools to open a bottle, rip off a price tag or open a packet of chips can cause damage, weakening the edge of the tooth and causing it to chip off or fracture.

Avoid making these everyday mistakes to keep your teeth healthier for longer, and you can also try some home remedies that have been proven to increase dental hygiene, for example chewing on licorice which reduces the number of harmful bacteria in your mouth.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

HolisticDentistry.news

Science.NaturalNews.com