DENTAL HEALTH
What Are the Factors That Negatively Affect Dental Health?
Factors That Negatively Affect Dental Health
Things to Consider in Dental Health
It is important to be informed about the habits that damage the teeth, to protect your dental health. You may not neglect oral and dental cleaning, and you may be going to regular dental check-ups. However, if you have habits that are harmful to your teeth, your dental health may still suffer. Therefore, everyone, without exception, should be informed about what is harmful for the teeth.
The number of people who brush their teeth regularly and also regularly go to dental check-ups is quite small. Therefore, many people complain of dental and gum diseases. When it comes to dental health, brushing usually comes to mind. However, some habits can seriously damage dental health. And the first order of business is awareness. Once you know what to look for, you’ll simultaneously know what to do next. It is useful to take a quick look at the factors that have a negative effect on the teeth.
Nutrition Habits
A balanced diet is one important preventative measure. Teeth and gums require certain nutrients to develop properly and stay strong throughout your life. Healthy foods help prevent tooth loss, infection, and gum disease.
A poor diet is a leading risk factor for gum disease and tooth decay. You have probably heard that eating a lot of sugary foods can cause your teeth to get cavities or fall out. Apart from these, items with a high content of carbohydrates, starch or acid can wear down the enamel of your teeth over time.
- Eating Too Many Snacks
Most of the packaged foods preferred as snacks may contain substances that may harm health. It should not be forgotten that these foods also contain extra fat, sugar, salt. Therefore, we can state that excessive consumption of these foods is among the habits that harm teeth. These foods can be harmful to the gums as well as the teeth. It is known that people who frequently consume snacks during the day experience problems such as dental caries and discoloration of the teeth more frequently.
For example, though bread isn’t considered an unhealthy option, starchy foods tend to stick to and in between teeth. Foods that are high in carbohydrates can actually act like sugar in their effect on your mouth.
- Consuming Acidic, Sugary Foods and Fruit Juices More Than Necessary
Consumption of acidic and sugary foods is not only among the habits that harm teeth. At the same time, it is necessary to strictly limit the consumption of these foods, which are harmful to health in many ways. Do not forget that these foods can harm the oral and dental health as well as the whole body. Candy, gummies, fudge, and cotton candy are all clear culprits.
Excessive consumption of these foods, such as energy drinks, sports drinks, and cough drops, which often contain refined sugar, also leads to an acid attack of the teeth during the day.
For this reason, it is inevitable for the teeth to go into the decay process quickly. Of course, juices also contain beneficial vitamins for the body. However, additives in ready-made fruit juices can also damage teeth and gums. It should be noted that the sugar in it can be extremely harmful for the teeth. Instead of consuming ready-made drinks, it would be much more correct to turn to fruit juice consumption by squeezing fruit at home in order to benefit from the vitamins of fruit juices. Of course, it is also important to clean the teeth after consumption.
- Hard Foods
Avoid breaking teeth by cutting out extra-hard foods. Chewing on things like nuts and hard candies is one of the main causes of this type of dental emergency. And remember, don’t chew ice! When the ice comes into contact with the teeth, you are both thermally shocked and physical force is applied due to its long hardness. Therefore, when the ice is broken, problems arise that can cause necrosis in the teeth.
Consuming Coffee, Tea, Alcohol and Tobacco Products
Beverages such as tea, coffee and tobacco products cause yellowing and staining on the teeth. Especially due to harmful substances in tobacco products, changes in tooth color occur. We can say that it also causes tooth and gum diseases. For this reason, the consumption of tea, coffee and the use of tobacco products are among the habits that harm the teeth. Tobacco products can also cause cancer of the lips, tongue, and mouth. Regular drinking of alcohol can cause dry mouth, which increases the risk of oral infections and gum disease. Excessive alcohol consumption is also a risk factor for oral cancer.
Grinding or Clenching of The Teeth
The most important reason why teeth grinding is among the habits that damage the teeth is that it causes wear on the teeth. Wear on the teeth can also lead to tooth decay. However, gingival diseases and gingival recessions may also occur due to clenching or grinding of the teeth. Clenching or bruxism is not just caused by stress. Although the exact cause is not known, it is known that this habit is associated with situations such as anxiety, anger, frustration, or tension. Sometimes, neurological, or mental problems may accompany bruxism. As a result, the cause must be investigated, and the necessary treatment must be done. In this way, it may be possible to protect dental health.
Piercing the Lip, Tongue, or Teeth
We know that piercings applied to the lip and tongue adversely affect the teeth. Constant contact of a metal object with the tooth surface causes the surface to wear down and bacteria to form in the mouth. Piercing can be harmful not only to the teeth but also to the gums. If it causes recession in the gums, even tooth loss may occur over time.
Brushing the Teeth Wrong
The prerequisite for having healthy teeth and gums is regular brushing of the teeth. However, brushing the wrong teeth does more harm than good. Choosing the right toothbrush and brushing the teeth correctly is extremely important. Behaviors such as brushing the teeth 6-7 times a day or applying too much force while brushing are among the habits that damage the teeth. It is necessary to brush the teeth 2-3 times a day and apply pressure at the ideal rate. 2 minutes of brushing time is also sufficient.
We should not forget that if we do not pay attention to our oral and dental health, it will come back to us with important health problems. Some of these are Cardiovascular Disease, Respiratory Disease, Oral Cancer, Osteoporosis, and psychological effects (depression) due to these diseases or aesthetically.
A healthy and beautiful smile is in your hands. 😊
