8 Harmful Habits That Can Spoil Your Smile

 A beautiful smile is an attractive feature that can improve your appearance significantly. However, it can be quite difficult to keep your smile pretty. You should maintain proper oral hygiene and take care of your teeth.

Modern dentistry provides various smile makeover options but they are useless if you have bad habits. Many of them can ruin your teeth and even cause dangerous complications. In this article, we have gathered eight harmful habits that can spoil your smile.

If you use your teeth as a tool to open bottles or different packages, you may easily break them. You can also injure your gums with sharp edges of packages. That's why you should use scissors, bottle openers, or other special tools if you want to save your teeth.

Many people think that gnawing ice is a harmless habit but the reality is that ice can also damage your teeth. When you bite an ice cube, you can also break your teeth and puncture your gums with a sharp piece of ice. If you are fond of ice, try to keep it in your mouth and avoid chewing it.

Coffee is a great way to start a new day. Many people all over the world drink a few cups of coffee a day. However, coffee addiction can significantly spoil your smile since it has pigments that can easily make your teeth darker. Coffee also contains acids that tend to soften your tooth enamel.

In addition to the fact that smokers tend to have bad breath, they are more prone to develop gum disease. Tobacco by-products mix with dental plaque and can irritate gums. Additionally, smokers usually have yellowish or grayish teeth because of nicotine and resins that accumulate on the tooth surface. That's why smokers tend to visit a cosmetic dentist for teeth whitening more often than non-smokers.

Some people think that it is necessary to brush their teeth with force to remove all food particles and dental plaque. The reality is that such excessive tooth brushing can do more harm than good. When you brush your teeth with force, you can scratch your tooth enamel and gums. As a result, your enamel can become thin and this will lead to teeth sensitivity and darker teeth.

Nail-biting is double trouble for your smile. Firstly, you can puncture your gums with the sharp edges of your nails and transfer a huge number of bacteria into your bloodstream. Secondly, a piece of a nail can stick between your teeth and it can be difficult to remove it. Additionally, bitten fingernails look quite unpleasant.

Sugar is one of the most common causes of tooth decay. It contributes to the overgrowth of bacteria that produce acids. These acids wear out your tooth enamel and your teeth may develop tooth decay. You should know that not only sweats contain a lot of sugar. Sweat yogurt, soda water, dried fruit, and even tomato sauces are high in sugar.

If you don't maintain proper oral hygiene, your smile can worsen quite soon. Dental plaque can turn into tartar that accumulates near the gum line and/or between teeth and spoil your smile dramatically. Additionally, people who don't take care of their teeth are more prone to bad breath, gum diseases, and even teeth loss.

It is important to understand that the appearance of your smile depends only on you. Get rid of harmful habits, visit the dentist regularly, and maintain proper oral hygiene to keep your smile beautiful and healthy.