Top 5 Daily Habits That Could Be Harming Your Teeth (and How to Stop Them)

Some everyday habits can affect your teeth without causing an immediate problem. Chewing ice, biting your nails or slowly sipping a fizzy drink may seem harmless, but repeating these habits can place unnecessary pressure on your teeth or expose them to sugar and acid more frequently.

The effects may develop gradually and can include enamel wear, sensitivity, tooth decay, damaged fillings or chipped teeth. Fortunately, a few practical changes can help reduce these risks without making your daily routine complicated.

Five Habits That Can Harm Your Teeth

Teeth are strong enough to bite and chew food, but they are not indestructible. Enamel can become worn, chipped or cracked, while plaque and repeated acid exposure can contribute to decay and erosion.

Recognising the habits that place your teeth at risk is the first step towards replacing them with safer alternatives.

1. Chewing Ice

Ice is only frozen water, but it is also extremely hard. Biting down on ice places considerable pressure on the teeth and may chip enamel, crack a filling or damage an existing crown or veneer.

The risk can be greater if a tooth is already weakened by decay, a large filling, previous treatment or an unnoticed crack.

Allow ice to melt in your drink rather than chewing it. You could also choose chilled water without ice if you find the temptation difficult to resist.

A persistent urge to chew large amounts of ice can sometimes be associated with iron deficiency. This does not mean that everyone who chews ice has a deficiency, but a strong or unusual craving is worth discussing with your GP.

2. Biting Your Nails

Nail biting repeatedly places pressure on the edges of the front teeth. Over time, it may contribute to small chips, uneven wear or damage to dental restorations.

The position of the jaw during nail biting can also place strain on the jaw muscles and joints, particularly when the habit is frequent or linked to stress.

Practical ways to reduce nail biting include:

• Keeping your nails neatly trimmed
• Using a suitable bitter-tasting nail product
• Identifying situations that trigger the habit
• Keeping your hands occupied during periods of stress or concentration

If you have developed a sharp tooth edge, sensitivity or discomfort in your jaw, mention it during your next dental appointment.

3. Sipping Sugary or Acidic Drinks

Sugary and acidic drinks can affect teeth in different ways. Sugar contributes to tooth decay because bacteria in dental plaque use it to produce acids. Acidic drinks can directly soften and gradually wear away the enamel, a process known as dental erosion.

Many drinks can be both sugary and acidic, including regular fizzy drinks, energy drinks and some fruit-based drinks. Sugar-free fizzy drinks may reduce the risk associated with sugar, but they can still be acidic.

Frequency matters as well as quantity. Slowly sipping a drink over several hours exposes the teeth repeatedly, giving saliva less opportunity to neutralise acids between each sip.

To reduce the risk:

• Choose still water for regular hydration
• Keep sugary or acidic drinks to mealtimes
• Avoid swishing or holding acidic drinks around your mouth
• Use a straw where appropriate to reduce contact with the teeth
• Rinse your mouth with water after an acidic drink
• Avoid brushing immediately after consuming something acidic

More advice on reducing decay and looking after your enamel is available through the practice’s preventative dentistry services.

4. Using Your Teeth as Tools

Your teeth should not be used to open packets, remove bottle tops, tear labels, cut thread or hold objects while your hands are occupied.

These actions place force on a small area of the tooth and can cause enamel to chip or an existing filling, crown or veneer to break. An accident can happen in a fraction of a second, even if you have used your teeth in the same way before without experiencing a problem.

Use scissors, a bottle opener or the correct tool instead. It may take a few extra seconds, but it can prevent avoidable dental damage.

5. Skipping Brushing Before Bed

Brushing before bed is particularly important because plaque, food debris and sugars can otherwise remain on the teeth overnight.

Saliva helps protect the mouth by washing away food particles and neutralising acids, but saliva production naturally reduces while you sleep. Leaving plaque and sugar on the teeth overnight can therefore increase the risk of tooth decay and gum problems.

Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, including last thing at night and on one other occasion. Brush thoroughly for around two minutes, spit out the excess toothpaste and avoid rinsing immediately with water.

If tiredness makes evening brushing easy to forget, try:

• Brushing before you become too tired, rather than immediately before sleep
• Setting a reminder on your phone
• Keeping your toothbrush somewhere visible
• Connecting brushing with another consistent evening habit

Other Habits to Watch

The five habits above are common, but they are not the only routines that can affect your oral health.

Brushing Too Hard

More pressure does not necessarily mean cleaner teeth. Aggressive brushing can irritate the gums and contribute to wear, particularly when combined with an abrasive toothpaste or a hard-bristled brush.

Use a soft or medium toothbrush and apply gentle, controlled pressure. If the bristles become flattened or splayed quickly, you may be pressing too hard.

Chewing Pens and Pencils

Chewing the end of a pen or pencil creates similar risks to chewing ice. Hard objects can damage tooth edges and restorations, while fragments may become sharp or break away.

Frequent Sugary Snacks

Eating sugary foods repeatedly throughout the day exposes the teeth to more frequent acid attacks. Keeping sugary foods to mealtimes is generally less harmful than grazing on them over several hours.

Clenching or Grinding Your Teeth

Clenching and grinding can wear the teeth, damage restorations and contribute to jaw discomfort or morning headaches. Some people grind their teeth while asleep and may not realise they are doing it.

A dentist can look for signs of tooth wear and discuss whether further assessment or a protective appliance may be appropriate.

What Should You Do If a Tooth Is Damaged?

Arrange a dental appointment if you chip, crack or break a tooth, even if it is not painful. The damage may be limited to the outer surface, but a dentist will need to assess its depth and decide whether treatment is required.

Possible treatments depend on the extent and position of the damage. They may include smoothing a rough edge, placing a filling, reattaching a tooth fragment or protecting the tooth with a crown.

If part of a tooth has broken off, place the fragment in milk or saliva and take it to the dentist. In some cases, it may be possible to reattach it.

Seek urgent dental advice if the damage is accompanied by severe pain, facial swelling, uncontrolled bleeding or significant trauma. A badly broken or knocked-out adult tooth should be assessed as soon as possible.

When Should You Speak to a Dentist?

Habits can be difficult to change, particularly when they are linked to stress, concentration or sleep. You do not need to wait until visible damage appears before asking for advice.

A dental examination may be helpful if you notice:

• New sensitivity to hot, cold or sweet foods
• A sharp, rough or chipped tooth edge
• Pain when biting
• Cracks or damage to a filling or crown
• Bleeding or receding gums
• Jaw discomfort or morning headaches
• Increasing wear on the edges of your teeth

Park Street Dental Practice can assess your teeth and gums, identify signs of damage and provide advice suited to your individual needs. Further information about routine examinations and treatment is available on the general dentistry page.

Protect Your Teeth With Better Daily Habits

Small habits can have a cumulative effect on your oral health. Avoiding hard objects, reducing frequent exposure to sugar and acid, and brushing properly before bed can all help protect your teeth.

If you are concerned about a damaged tooth, sensitivity or signs of wear, visit the contact page to arrange an appointment with Park Street Dental Practice in Selby.