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April 28, 2024

Put the Brakes On Bad Oral Health
Five Habits of a Hectic Lifestyle You Should Lose

Feeling the need for speed? Don't take it out on your teeth.

In a society where people play an ongoing game of beat the clock, there are shortcuts taken with our oral health that can catch up with us.
Oral health experts have identified five habits in particular we should leave behind for the sake of our teeth.

"These personal habits can damage teeth lead to costly dental work," said Katina Morelli, DDS, dental director for Delta Dental of Illinois.

Here are the five bad habits dentists would like us to lose.

Smoking/Smokeless tobacco. No surprise here - besides leading to off-color teeth and dull smiles, using tobacco products can lead to oral cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease. Meanwhile, there is the risk of damage to gums, which can progress to periodontal disease and, in some cases, tooth loss.

Using teeth as tools. Biting anything except food with our teeth is asking for trouble. Teeth aren't meant to pry off bottle caps, rip open bags of chips or to bite finger nails. Use the right tools for the job: bottle openers, kitchen scissors and nail clippers.

Clenching and grinding. Does the rat race and stress have you clenching and grinding your teeth? Whether you do it while awake or in your sleep, putting this kind of wear and tear on your teeth can lead to more serious oral health problems. Dentists can help by recommending simple home therapies or prescribing a custom-formed mouth guard you can wear at night.

Mind what you eat and drink. Certain things we eat and drink may make us feel good and supply short-term energy, but over time their impact on our oral health can be a real drag. The excessive sugar in soft drinks and candies are well-known culprits. Not so notorious are the medications that are helpful in treating specific ailments, but which might create the right conditions for oral health problems. Dentists should be told what prescriptions you're taking so they can suggest solutions that will counter the adverse effects of medications.

Skipping the basics. Too busy to brush and floss your teeth? Don't have the time to see the dentist? The small amount of time we invest in the basics pays big dividends physically, socially and financially with better teeth, fresher breath, brighter smiles and lower dental bills.

"We really need to slow down sometimes and think about how what we're doing in our daily lives impacts the health of our teeth. That's a great first step to changing habits, preventing problems and improving our oral health," Dr. Morelli said.

Delta Dental of Illinois (DDIL) is a not-for-profit dental service corporation specializing in providing comprehensive, easy-to-use and cost-effective benefits to over one million employees and family members in 2,500 employee groups throughout Illinois. Based in Lisle, Ill., DDIL offers an array of extensive nationwide network-based managed fee-for-service, PPO and dental HMO plans.