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Protecting your teeth is something we all should do better. Do you like to bite your nails? Are you someone who likes to chew on ice? Or maybe you just hate mouthguards and never wear them? Well, those bad habits along with others can have a negative impact on your well-being and your oral health.  Here, we’ll talk about these three bad habits, why they are bad, and what you can do about them.

First, we have bruxism, which is of course teeth grinding that’s caused by a weird bite, stress, anxiety, or even sleep disorders. Grinding your teeth results in a lot of wear, or even teeth fractures. If you suspect that you are grinding your teeth, see a dentist. A night guard or some sleep appliances can help with you overnight.

Then there is chewing ice.  It can provide a satisfying crunch, but this can damage your enamel, teeth, and gums. This is similar to teeth grinding, and this can wear and tear, and damage your smile too. If you new to chew on something, use carrot sticks, apples, or cucumber slices to help with this. also, if you like to have drinks, stop having them with ice to help with avoiding the temptation of this as well.

Then there is biting your nails.  It’s not sanitary, but it’s also not healthy. They are hard substances, and over time, chewing on these can damage the teeth and enamel, and also cause fractures in the teeth as well. Not only does it cause problems like physical damage, the dirt and germs underneath can irritate the gums and also cause infection.  You oftentimes will need braces to correct this as well. You should tr to keep the nails trimmed to avoid temptation and edges which are uneven.  Try to find the cause of why you bite your nails, and you can get people to tell you when you are so that you’re not doing it as much.

Then there are mouth guards.  Many don’t like these but the best professionals in the sport do it, so there must be a good reason. They protect the teeth, simply put.  If you get hit in the mouth, you’ll be able to protect your teeth from damage or loss. If you do contact sports, please try to wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth.

You should also avoid certain habits.  Try to say no to tobacco. Not only does it affect the body, but the teeth as well. It causes bad breath, staining, puts you at risk for gum disease, and it’ll lead to tooth decay. Tobacco use does put you at greater risk for oral cancer too.

Finally, watch what you eat.  Try to avoid starchy, sugary and sticky foods since these are the worst things for your teeth. They leave a residue that’s hard to remove and it can break down enamel over time, and you don’t want to put your teeth at risk right?

These bad habits are all quite common, but if you do take care of your body and try to ensure that you’re taking care of yourself, you’ll do better as well.