10 Bad Habits that can damage your teeth

Sometimes it’s the small things that you do each day which harm your teeth the most:

1. Continuously sipping sweet drinks. The sugar from a small sip can sit on your teeth for up to 20 minutes.  If you cannot give up sugary drinks — try to drink within a single 15 minute period and then brush or wash the sugar away with some water.
2. Brushing your teeth too hard. Brushing your teeth too hard can brush off the enamel or damage the gums, try an electric toothbrush or a soft bristle brush instead.
3. Chewing on Ice or Hard Boiled Sweets. This can fracture your teeth.
4. Sucking on Cough Lozenges too often. Many people forget that cough sweets are high in sugar, try the sugar-free varieties.
5. Forgetting your lips when applying Sun Cream. Too much exposure to the sun on your lips can cause oral cancer, don’t forget that they need sun screen too!
6. Grinding or Clenching your Teeth. This will damage your teeth, speak to a dentist about a mouthguard which will help you.
7. Opening Bottles or Packets with your teeth. This can lead to chipped or fractured teeth — use a bottle opener or scissors!
8. Tongue Piercing. The tongue ring or stud can chip teeth or damage gums. The piercing itself can also increase risk of infection in the mouth.
9. Thumb Sucking. This can effect a child’s bite and the look of their teeth, try our habit breaking tips.
10. Using teeth to cut thread or cellotape. The thread or tape could slip and damage your gums.