6 Great Ways to Ruin Your Teeth

Your mouth is a delicate area of your body; your teeth need a lot of care and good care at that. You can do a lot of good for your mouth but you can also do a lot of harm. Some things that we think are good for our teeth can actually be bad, as well as things we don't even think about being bad. As a dentist in Park Ridge  I have noticed some of these things over my many years in the profession.

1. Brushing your teeth too hard. This seems like it would be good for your teeth, doesn't it? I mean, you really want to get in there and brush and get that disgusting plaque off your teeth so they can shine bright and white, right? Wrong, well, the brushing too hard is wrong. When you brush your teeth, you want to use a decent force but not too much. When you do, you can ruin enamel. Also, brush in circles instead of brushing in straight side-to-side lines. Consider a brush with softer bristles as well. 
2. Consuming a lot of acidic foods/drinks. Some foods and drinks are so good but are actually rather harmful for your teeth. The acid in these things wears on the enamel and softens it. This is a problem because if you brush your teeth while the enamel is soft, you brush it away. Wait about 30 minutes after eating or drinking to brush your teeth so the enamel can get firm again, also, consider using toothpaste that also hardens the enamel again. 
3. Whitening your teeth too much. As a Park Ridge dental office that offers teeth whitening and teeth in one day services, we know that teeth whitening is a great thing and can really help your smile; however, doing it too much is rough on your teeth. When you whiten your teeth, you are exposing your pearly whites to a mild acid and so the bleach in the whitening solution can weaken the enamel on your teeth. 
4. Taking a swig of an ice cold drink after biting into hot food. This is one that is probably not thought of very often. When we eat food that is hot, we tend to want some cold beverage to go with it, like some soda. This can be rough of the enamel on your teeth because when you bite into some hot food, your causing the enamel to expand; when you take a drink of your cold pop or water, whatever it ma be, you are causing the enamel to contract. When you came quick expansion and contraction, this puts stress on the enamel and creates little hairline fractures in the enamel. Of course, if you drink with a straw, you have a much more reduced risk of this happening. 
5. Using your teeth for things other than eating. Sometimes we use our mouths to help us out, like holding a pencil or biting down on a cap to open something. It seems like something that shouldn't matter and we do it so easily, but it does make an impact. Why? It can create fractures in the enamel. 
6. Not cleaning your teeth enough. This one is a given and probably what you think of when you think of things that ruin your teeth (because I know you think about that all the time). Brush and floss twice a day. Use a mouth rinse (go for alcohol free if you can). Schedule visits to your dentist every 6 months or at least once a year. If you are in Chicagoland, then contact Rubino Dentistry - a dentist in Park Ridge.