No scissors? No Problem, My Teeth Will Do the Trick.
If you’ve ever thought about, and unfortunately applied, this precept, you’ll have to rethink your habits when it comes to using those precious but fragile teeth. It’s true they are designed to withstand years of chewing, but beware: improper treatment can significantly shorten their life expectancy. Certain habits or manias, although they may seem harmless at first glance, should be completely and permanently banned from our behaviour.
At the Centre Dentaire & D’Implantologie Boucherville, your dentists on the South Shore, we are aware of this fact, and we are at your full disposal to explain what the right practices and attitudes are when it comes to the best way of treating your teeth on a daily basis. With patience and kindness, our experts will warn you against all the actions that are detrimental to your overall dental health day after day.
The respect of a few basic rules that applied throughout your life is the guarantee of excellent oral health: it is a fact. However, as simple as they may seem, details aren’t all that straightforward. Let us explain. You brush your teeth very conscientiously in the morning and evening, you floss, and you even take your toothbrush to the office: so far so good…
But a few grains of sand could well slip into this well-oiled machine. For instance, this morning, an urgent parcel was waiting on your desk. Just as you were about to open it, you complained; these scissors were gone again, probably taken away by mistake by one of your colleagues. No time to go and get them back so, with a sharp blow, rather two, you cut the Scotch tape with your teeth.
This gesture, so common and so often made, contributes like many others to damage your teeth day after day. If you recognize those habits, you can start to walk away from them. Their harmfulness is often unknown or underestimated. Indeed, even if today nobody can really ignore the right attitudes to keep an impeccable oral health, like regularly brushing your teeth or use dental floss… it remains essential to inform on the dark side of our ugly and harmful manias.
Your teeth are not a bottle opener nor a pair of scissors! The enamel that covers your teeth is a hard material, the hardest in our entire body, but the steel that makes up your tools beats it hands down: tooth enamel versus scissor steel… scissors all the way! Enamel, unlike other tissues in our bodies, does not regenerate, so it is vital to preserve it throughout our lives.
A Non-Exhaustive Overview of Actions to Ban at All Costs
- Don’t use your teeth as tools;
- Don’t bite your nails;
- Never bite into ice cubes;
- Be careful not to go from very hot to cold or icy foods;
- Ban gummy bears from your list of allowed candies;
- Stop chewing your pencil or pen!
- Remember to rinse your mouth after drinking coffee, tea or acidic beverages…
To put an end to all these bad habits that jeopardize your oral health and ruin part of your efforts without you even being aware of it, you must first cross off the list the one that unquestionably wins the award of excellence: the tenacious habit of constantly postponing your appointment with your dentist! Attentive, caring, and competent, your dentist will show you the right things to do and the ones to avoid. See you soon at your South Shore dentist.
