Avoid Using Your Teeth For Anything Other Than Eating!

Damage to our teeth can easily occur when we use them for things they weren’t designed for….

Our teeth are designed for a specific purpose, for biting, tearing and chewing our food. This is their only use, other than perhaps to help make us more attractive if we are blessed with a great smile.

Despite this, it is far from uncommon to see people who use them for other purposes and indeed, we may even have done so ourselves when we were younger. Whilst tooth damage isn’t inevitable, it can certainly make us feel foolish and regret that we used our teeth in this way when we damage occurs.

In our years at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic we have seen numerous cases of damage caused unnecessarily. Here are some of the more common ways that some of our patients have managed to inflict damage on their teeth which hopefully you will avoid!

Opening bottles

Many of us will have seen this happen, usually when we were younger and perhaps more foolish, or if we weren’t, some of those around us who were. Opening bottles of beer with our teeth is a sure way of asking for trouble. The most obvious damage is to break or at least chip a tooth. Bottle tops are held on securely for a good reason and require some force to remove. Irrespective of how strong your teeth are, it’s asking for trouble. In addition to this, all it takes is one small  slip and you could cause yourself serious facial injuries and the bottom line is that this is both dangerous and foolish. Don’t let bravado ruin your teeth and buy or borrow a bottle opener instead!

Chewing ice

Some people find this immensely satisfying whilst others find it has a similar effect to someone running their fingernails on a blackboard. Wherever you stand on this though, chewing ice can cause your teeth to break or chip and should be avoided. By all means, use ice to maintain the coolness of your drink but please don’t chew on it or you might find yourselves calling our Canterbury dental clinic for an urgent appointment.

Opening packets (and other similar habits)

This is one that we’ve probably all done. Those pesky crisp or ketchup packets that seem to be designed to frustrate us should surely be no match for our teeth? Although these are certainly made of softer materials than either of the above, it isn’t actually the material that causes the damage but that of our teeth slipping off the edge and clashing with the opposing set of teeth; sometimes quite unexpectedly and quite hard. Whilst breakages are probably less likely when doing this, chipped teeth are very common. Not only can this affect the appearance of your teeth but can also create small cracks that can expose the inner dentin part of the tooth. When this happens, problems such as tooth decay and sensitive teeth are probably not very far away.

Other seemingly harmless things that we use our teeth for, sometimes with the same results, are biting of the fingernails and also pen and pencil chewing. All of these are things that our teeth simply weren’t designed for and are best avoided.

Tongue and lip piercings

Finally, not a habit but a trend that is increasingly popular and that is to have a tongue or lip piercing. Although having it pierced won’t in itself cause damage, there is a risk that you might bite down onto the metal, especially until you get used to it. Inevitably, in a battle between tooth enamel and metal, metal is going to win hands down and again, you may chip or break a tooth. This can also happen with a lip piercing but perhaps more common with these is that the metal ring rubs against the gum and irritates it causing infection. Especially if you are not meticulous with your oral health, gum disease may soon be a problem for you.

These are not the only habits that some of us have that can damage teeth but they are some of the easiest ones to avoid. Just one moment of bravado or foolishness could lead to tooth damage that needs urgent restoration by a dentist. Whilst we hope that you will take note and avoid these damaging habits, remember that we are here should anything like this happen and we will always do our best to restore the tooth to its maximum strength and function.

If you need to make an emergency dental appointment at Bradley and Partners Dental & Implant Clinic, you can do so by calling the reception team at our Canterbury practice on 01227 463529.