Huntersville Dentist

Want to have a smile that lasts you an entire lifetime? Then on top of brushing, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash, there are a couple of things that you need to keep yourself from doing in order to preserve your pearly whites. And don’t be fooled. Even if these things seem harmless, they can actually pack so much punch and ruin your teeth over time.

1. Do not chew on ice.

Chewing on ice is a very effective way to make your teeth become worn out in a shorter period of time. Your teeth has to battle through chewing, grinding and even gnashing in a daily basis, so the acceleration of wear and tear develops even more when you chew on something that is as hard as ice.

If you do want to chew on something, then switch to sugarless gum instead. This is the only candy which is actually good for your teeth. The reason being that chewing actually leads to the production of saliva, which gets rid of harmful bacteria inside of your mouth. And because gum is soft and chewy, your teeth won’t be damaged even if you chew this type of gum all day long. Just make sure that you do not mistakenly pick out the gum that isn’t sugarless though.

2. Do wear mouth guards.

Mouth guards are not exactly what you would expect to wear with the rest of your sports attire unless you are playing football or soccer. However, mouth guards are just as important when you’re playing baseball or even basketball. A ball may be flying towards you at a very fast rate, easily knocking out any of your teeth when it makes contact with your jaws. At the same time, mouth guards can prevent cracks and fractures from developing on your teeth, slashing your need for dental treatments.

3. Stay away from candies.

Yes, this seems very straightforward enough but when it comes to candies, they come in different forms. For instance, hard candies may actually be easier to eliminate because they only dissolve and do not stick into or on the crevices and surfaces of your teeth. Hence, when you brush your teeth, you can remove all traces of sugar more effectively. On the other hand, sticky candies like the gummy ones can stick into hard-to-reach areas of your mouth and lengthen the contact of bacteria and these sugars, leading to extensive tooth decay over time.

Talk to your dentist in Huntersville

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