When it comes to caring for your teeth, you want to make sure you don't do anything that can cause them to become broken or injured in any other way. Sometimes the ways you can protect your teeth are obvious, but sometimes there are things you can be doing that put your teeth at risk without you even realizing it. Here are some of the things you want to refrain from doing for the overall health and well-being of your teeth:
Don't use toothpicks to remove food from your teeth
Using a toothpick can harm your gums and cause problems with your teeth. Traditional toothpicks are made of wood particles and they can splinter off and get stuck between your teeth. If this happens and you can't get the wood out on your own then you want to get in to the dentist right away. Also, using any type of toothpicks, including plastic ones, can lead to abrasions along your gum lines. With your mouth being full of bacteria, this can put you at risk of developing an infection, inflammation and even gum disease. Instead of picking at your teeth with sharp objects you want to use dental floss which is specifically designed to get between your teeth and remove food particles without putting your mouth at risk.
Don't chew on abnormally hard things
While your teeth are designed to help you chew all types of foods, including hard foods, there are some things that are so hard that you should avoid chewing them. Ice may seem like something harmless to chew since it is nothing more than frozen water. However, it can easily chip your teeth and this is why you should stop chewing it if this is something you currently do. You should also stay away from hard candies. Not only are they capable of breaking your teeth but they will also keep them in constant contact with sugar.
Conclusion
Avoiding broken and damaged teeth will help you to offset the need for avoidable dental treatments. However, if you do break your teeth and find that you are in the position of needing teeth replacements, you have many options available to you. If there is enough of the tooth left then you can go with crowns or veneers. If you need to have some of your teeth completely replaced then you can go with dental implants, dentures or even hybrid dentures.Talk to a dentist, like Port Orange Dentist, for more help.
