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Good oral health is the key to good overall health. Good oral health includes brushing and flossing your teeth regularly, visiting the dentist regularly, and eating a healthy diet. On the other hand, bad habits include nail biting, smoking, using teeth as tools, and teeth grinding. For maintaining optimal health, it is important to keep these bad habits at bay.

• Nail Biting

One bad habit that can ruin your dental health is the habit of chewing on fingernails. Not only is this a bad habit when it comes to your oral hygiene, but it can also be detrimental to your health in general. This is because when you chew on your fingernails, small pieces of the fingernail can get lodged in your gums and cheek. This can cause soreness and inflammation in these sensitive areas. Furthermore, it can also increase your risk of getting chips and cracks on your teeth.

• Smoking

Tobacco products contain nicotine and tar, which are highly addictive. Nicotine is highly toxic and can be absorbed through the gums. It can cause bleeding of the gum tissues and lead to gum recession. Tar stains the teeth yellow or brown and can stain the lips black. Smokers are more likely to have other health problems such as heart disease and cancer. It also causes bad breath and yellowing of teeth.

If you smoke and want to quit, talk to your dentist about quitting strategies or medications that may help you. There are also support groups for smokers that can help you in your quest to quit.

In addition to reducing the risk of oral cancer, quitting tobacco can reduce the risk of lung and heart disease. It will also improve your overall health, and your oral health will improve too! Talk to your dentist about how you can quit today.

• Brushing Teeth Aggressively

When we brush our teeth, we need to be gentle but thorough. A soft-bristled toothbrush with gentle toothpaste is the best way to clean your teeth. However, if you do too much pressure while brushing or use an abrasive toothpaste, you can harm your teeth and gums. This can harm the enamel that protects our teeth and can lead to gum recession.

Aggressive brushing can also wear down the enamel of our teeth. When the enamel is worn away, dentin is exposed more readily, and this makes our teeth more sensitive to hot and cold temperatures. The gums may also recede as a result of aggressive brushing. This can lead to exposed roots and decay below the gum line. Even with the best oral hygiene routine, you would still likely have to visit the dentist more often if you start brushing your teeth aggressively.

If you aren’t getting the results you want from a manual toothbrush, you might want to try an electric toothbrush. These toothbrushes have sensors that identify if you are brushing too hard and stop the bristles from moving any further. Electric toothbrushes tend to be more effective at cleaning teeth than manual ones. When shopping for a new toothbrush, look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance on the box to make sure it’s safe and effective. Learn more here:

• Grinding Teeth

When we feel stressed, it can manifest in many ways – both mental and physical. Some people bite their nails, and others find themselves clenching their teeth and gritting them against each other. This habit is known as bruxism or teeth grinding. This condition can occur during the day or night but is most frequent at night while we are sleeping. The causes of this are varied, but the effects can be significant if untreated. It can lead to tooth loss, chipped or fractured tooth enamel, TMJ dysfunction, headaches, and more. The good news is that treating bruxism is relatively simple with the help of a mouthguard from the dentist. If you experience pain in your jaw or other symptoms of bruxism, contact your dentist right away for treatment recommendations.

• Not Visiting the Dentist Regularly

If you don’t visit the dentist at least every six months, it can lead to major dental health problems. Dental issues can be prevented from developing if caught early. Your dentist can detect cavities and gum disease in their early stages during your regular visits. This will prevent further damage to your teeth. If your dentist does notice any issue with your oral health, they can begin treating it right away before it worsens. Leaving these dental problems untreated can lead to tooth loss and other serious health problems.

By being proactive about your oral health and seeing your dentist every six months, you can avoid issues like tooth decay and periodontitis. These can be costly to treat and cause a lot of pain. Also, they can result in the loss of teeth and affect your appearance. 

To learn more about the dental procedures offered by Osuna Dental Care, call us at (505) 884-1989 or visit our dental office located at 5900 Cubero Dr NE suite B, Albuquerque, NM 87109.