Oral Health Habits: What Are You Doing Wrong?

When was the last time you brushed your teeth today? While it may seem like a question you’d likely to brush off, it is a reminder that you may be doing (not doing) things that could significantly affect your overall dental health. Did you know that missing that scheduled dental appointment could lead to more severe health issues? Although you’ve been used to rescheduling your dental appointment to make way for more important concerns, making it a habit could cost you more in the long run. What could you be doing (or not doing) wrong?

·         Not Flossing at all

Flossing may seem like something that you do in addition to regular brushing, but it is something that is more likely to be skipped and forgotten at all. If you are guilty of skipping this simple way of taking care of your teeth, you are not alone. While regular brushing does its job of keeping the teeth clean, flossing helps remove the food particles that may be stuck in between teeth. This simple tooth care step helps get rid of the plaque around the teeth and the gum area. If you are still not convinced how important it is to floss, then here’s a little advice – You don’t have to floss all your teeth, just the ones you would like to keep.

·         Grinding your Teeth Could Cause Irreparable Damages to it

Grinding is the sliding of your teeth back and forth. For some, the grinding sound relaxes them. Since tooth grinding usually happens at night when one is asleep, it is a relatively severe oral health problem that needs to be addressed before the teeth, and the joint connecting the teeth to the jaw gets damaged. Although there hasn’t been any agreement as to what could be causing people to grind their teeth in their sleep, high-stress levels are considered as one of the factors. Over time, this simple habit could lead to broken, chipped or fractured teeth

·         Smoking Could Lead to Oral Health Problems that Could Develop to Serious Health Concerns

Smokers find it hard to quit. For those around them, it is easy to quit. You need to stop smoking, and that’s it. However, for smokers, this simple task could mean a huge deal for them. This habit can be tough to break, but dentists in Edmonton say you need to start working on it. Whether you have been smoking for a year or ten years, quitting will be as hard, but it will be very beneficial. Not only does it lower the risk of developing oral cancer, but it protects you from developing heart disease or lung cancer even.

Having the right oral health habits and keeping it in practice could make a massive difference between having just a beautiful smile and living a healthy life.