Ice Crunching –Can cause severe damage by chipping or cracking teeth and cause sore gums and toothaches.
Grinding Teeth – Also known as bruxism. Most often people do this without even knowing it, and often times it happens while you’re sleeping. It causes the teeth to wear down over time and can be the cause of jaw pain and even headaches. It is hard to control this habit, since it occurs when you are sleeping. The best treatment is a custom made night guard to wear at night.
Cough Drops, Gummy Candy and Soda – Cough drops may seem harmless because they are medicinal. However, most of them contain a lot of sugar which causes cavities, especially when held in the mouth for long periods of time. Gummy Candy is the culprit of many cavities and tooth decay; they are sugar loaded and stick in between teeth for hours breaking down the enamel. Soda can have up to 11 teaspoons of sugar per serving, and contains phosphoric and citric acids that are harmful to tooth enamel. While diet soda may seem a better route because it is skipping the sugar, some contain even higher levels of acid.
Opening Stuff With Your Teeth – It is best to use tools made for opening bottles and packages rather than your teeth to prevent chipping and cracking.
Sports Drinks and Fruit Juice – While both of these seem like healthier beverages, they are both very sugary and can cause tooth decay. It is best to stay hydrated at the gym by drinking water. When it comes to juice; choose an option that has no sugar added. Fruits naturally have a lot of sugars.
Constant Snacking – Snacking produces less saliva than eating a meal, leaving more food in your teeth for longer periods of time. Avoid snacking too frequently, and avoid sugar and starch as much as possible. The best snacks are vegetables.
Chewing on Pencils – Much like chewing on ice, chewing on pencils is a habit that most of us are guilty of, and often don’t realize we’re doing it when it is happening. Chewing on pencils can cause cracks and chipping of the teeth. When you are concentrating hard it is best to chew a piece of sugarless gum to help keep the pens and pencils out of your mouth.
Smoking – Smoking is bad for your overall health as well as the health of your mouth. Many people lose teeth due to gum disease that results from smoking. Smoking is also known to cause cancer of the lips, mouth and tongue.
Drinking Wine – Wine is very acidic, which weakens enamel leaving your teeth vulnerable to stains and decay. Particularly red wine has a bad reputation for staining teeth and for a good reason; its deep pigments (chromogen and tannins) help the color of the wine stick to your teeth.