What Habits Are Bad For My Teeth? It turns out other things are bad for my teeth too.
TOOTH ENAMEL RANKS between steel and titanium on the Mohs Hardness Scale. That makes it harder than any other substance in the human body. However, it’s still fairly brittle and very vulnerable to acid erosion, and there are plenty of daily habits we might have that can put it at risk.
Don’t be a nail biter
If you ask most people what the harms of a nail-biting habit are, they’ll probably start with damaged fingernails. Tooth enamel might be harder than keratin (what fingernails are made of), but over time, biting your nails will abrade the tooth. Habitual nail-biting can erode, crack, and chip teeth. It can shift them out of proper alignment, resulting in gaps and bad bites.
Mouth breathing can cause a variety of problems, both in the short term and over time:
Lower oxygen levels: nose breathing triggers the production of nitric oxide, a molecule that helps our lungs absorb oxygen. Mouth breathing skips that step, so we can’t get as much out of each breath. That results in less energy for mental and physical tasks.
Dry mouth: the constant airflow in the mouth dries it out, which is a big problem, because saliva is the first line of defense against oral bacteria. Dry mouth leads to chronic bad breath and tooth decay.
Sleep apnea: with habitual mouth breathing comes the increased likelihood of sleep apnea, which makes it difficult to get restful sleep and over time increases the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.
Altered bone growth: when the mouth is closed, the tongue provides the right pressure for a child’s dental arches and facial bones to develop well. Mouth breathing removes the support structure and leads to narrow arches, flat features, drooping eyes, and a small chin.
Worse orthodontic problems: narrow dental arches are very likely to feature a lot of crowding. In order to make room for the full set of teeth, orthodontic treatment will usually be necessary.
Let’s Break Those Habits!
Whether you’re personally struggling with nail biting, mouth breathing, or both, or you’ve noticed that your child does, we can help! Just give us a call. We want you to have all the information you need about the ways these habits impact oral health, and we want you to have all the tools you need to fight back!
Make your appointment with Dr. Taller to help.
Please discuss any issues at your visit with Dr. Taller to answer your questions. Dr. Taller’s Riverdale Dental Office is located at 3601 Waldo Ave. Riverdale, NY.
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