Besides making sure you visit your dentist every six months for a check up and a cleaning and brushing and flossing everyday, there are other steps you can take to protect your teeth. You want to make sure your teeth are with you for the long haul, so follow these simple steps to protect them each day.
Avoid chewing on hard foods or objects:
Bad habits such as chewing hard foods and other objects and ruin your teeth. You may love eating hard candies, nuts or ice, but this can damage the protective enamel on your teeth and can crack or break your teeth. In addition, chewing on your fingernails, toothpicks and pencils should be avoided as well. Anything that is hard can cause damage to your teeth, so get in the habit of avoiding that altogether.
Sticky foods:
Sticky foods can also wreak havoc on your teeth, especially if you already have some dental work such as fillings or caps. Gum loaded with sugar, raisins, fruit chews, taffy and caramels often top the “no-no†list when it comes to keeping your teeth healthy. Nothing ruins dental work faster than munching on very sticky foods. If you love chewing foods like this, then try to switch to safe sugar free gums that are approved for those with dental work.
Hard brushing:
You may want to scrub away all the junk on your teeth, but actually brushing your teeth too harshly or with a hard toothbrush can harm your teeth, too. Sometimes it will cause your gums to recede and bleed. You may even find that this type of brushing can cause sensitivity to your teeth. Use a soften brush and a light hand.
When you take these steps to properly care for your teeth, you can be certain that your dental check ups will end in happy news.