Are These Daily Habits Making Your Teeth Weak?

Summary: Indian dentists link everyday habits to the weakening of teeth, facts that we are unaware of.

We undergo daily activities of brushing, flossing, mouthwash rinses, acidic diets, and DIY whitening as a means to care for our teeth. Little do we know that these simple actions lead to the weakening of our teeth.

The teeth issues

Dentists are seeing a steep incline in the number of patients exhibiting symptoms of tooth sensitivity, thinning enamel and chipped edges. You will be surprised to know that these symptoms were usually associated with ageing adults or those who neglected dental hygiene.

The statistics

Statistics show that 27% of dental patients in India display dental issues like enamel erosion and show no signs of dwindling.

The reasons

Another surprising fact is that the mundane, routine activities that we undertake to keep our teeth clean and maintain oral health are the ones that cause weakening of our teeth.

1) Vigorous Brushing: When we brush our teeth, we often use vigorous brush strokes or a toothbrush with hard bristles, which strips away the tooth enamel, leading to sensitivity and tooth decay.

Solution: Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and gently brush your teeth with circular motions

2) Food: The foods, loaded with high sugar, salt, and acids, that we consume, like aerated fizzy drinks, citrus-based juices, tea, coffee, energy drinks, and sweets, expose our teeth to the acids, thereby stripping away the tooth enamel.

Solution: Rinse your mouth after drinking fizzy drinks or sip them with a straw to prevent erosion of enamel. Try to avoid salty foods as they lead to dryness of the mouth.

3) Hydration: Hydration is crucial for oral health. Hydration increases the production of saliva, which protects our teeth by neutralising acids, replenishing minerals and strengthening tooth enamel.

When we consume less water or more tea, coffee or alcoholic beverages, we get dehydrated, and our saliva dries up, which exposes our enamel, thereby weakening our teeth.

Solution: Stay hydrated. Water is a natural healer, so aim for drinking 3 to 4 litres of water a day, irrespective of the weather. Hydration increases saliva production, which protects our teeth. It also prevents the lips and mouth from drying. Dry mouth leads to a host of other issues, but more on that later.

4) Teeth Whitening: A new fad is teeth whitening. A must for that perfect picture that shows our white teeth as we smile. There are some do-it-yourself (DIY) tips that we have read about, which instantly whiten our teeth – like lemon juice, baking soda, and activated charcoal. Did you know that behind this façade, they actually harm our teeth? The abrasiveness and acidity of these products quicken the erosion of the enamel, making our teeth look yellow and making them sensitive.

Solution: Dentists recommend using a mild fluoride toothpaste or opting for dentist-approved professional teeth-whitening techniques.

5) Toothpaste: Did you know that the toothpaste we use impacts our oral health? Most of the toothpastes aim to provide oral freshness or whitening rather than protecting the enamel. The foods we consume weaken this enamel and make our teeth sensitive and weak.

Solution: The use of a special enamel protection toothpaste is recommended. It protects and strengthens the enamel and saves our teeth from the daily contact with acids in our foods and beverages.

Conclusion

Such simple tweaks that we can practice in our daily oral care routine will make us smile more and more. Other simple practices we can do are: eat home-cooked, less salty, meals; avoid alcohol or tobacco use; limit sugary foods and fizzy beverages; limit sugar and dairy products; eat fresh fruits and vegetables; more salads and fibre; manage stress – which is a reason for binge eating unhealthy processed foods and most important stay adequately hydrated, irrespective the weather.

Recommendation: Breathe through the nose. Breathing from the mouth dries out the mouth and leads to lesser saliva production, bad breath and sensitivity. So remember, always breathe through the nose.

Don’t chase after quick-fix methods like teeth whitening, etc. You are beautiful the way you are. It is your nature, heart and character that matter the most, rather than your teeth. Don’t use a toothpaste brand because it is marketed as “with salt”, “with activated charcoal”, “with freshness boosters” or advertised by renowned people, rather read the ingredients and decide. All of us have a unique set of teeth; the brand of toothpaste that works for us may not be suitable for others. So decide and choose wisely, with your dentist’s recommendation.

An oral check-up and consultation with your dentist every six months is important, so don’t miss out on those.

Source: Inputs from various media Sources