Are Your Lifestyle Choices Affecting Your Oral Health?
At Kewaskum Family Dentistry, your oral health is important to us. Unfortunately, some patients make poor lifestyle choices, which can negatively impact their oral health. While these habits might not be affecting their oral health now, they will most certainly lead to problems in the future. Here are some choices you may want to stop making:
High Stress Levels
Medical professionals often share how high stress can affect your overall health. Your oral health can be negatively affected by high stress as well. Patients who experience higher than normal levels of stress commonly have bruxism, which is when you clench and grind your teeth. Over time, this will lead to uneven wear of the teeth, which can cause the teeth to crack and break.
Drinking Sugary Beverages
You may be vigilant about the amount of sugar in your food, but consider that your drink choices may be actually more harmful to your oral health. Certain beverages have more sugar than even your favorite candy bar! Drinking these beverages throughout the day continuously introduces harmful bacteria into your mouth. Over time, this can lead to serious problems with tooth decay. We recommend increasing your daily water intake and decreasing the number of sugary beverages you consume.
Using Teeth as Tools
If you are trying to open a package or cut a tag, it can be tempting to use your teeth for assistance. Although your teeth are strong, they are not designed to be used as tools. This is a bad habit that can lead to serious problems such as cracked or broken teeth. Take the extra time to get the necessary tools and only use your teeth to eat food.
If you are experiencing dental discomfort, you need a routine hygiene examination, or you are experiencing a dental emergency, we can help. Contact our office, which is located in Kewaskum, WI, to schedule an appointment. We want to help get your oral health on track.