What habits can damage your teeth?

When we meet a person and everything about them seems new to us, or we see a loved one who is very happy, It’s not strange that for a few seconds we watch how your smile . We can even try to appreciate what that facial expression looks like showing our teeth in front of the mirror.

Although the first impression is that teeth are related to aesthetics and personal self-esteem, as it is part of who we are and how we show ourselves to others, it goes much further.

Geraldine Vives , Director of the School of Dentistry at Diego Portales University explains to La Tercera that the oral cavity, which includes the teeth and other structures, has a series of functions and repercussions on individuals.

“It is the gateway to food and any damage generated in the teeth or in the oral cavity will impact this function. It also influences speech.” says the expert.

In this line, an essential step is to understand how fundamental dental health care is at all possible ages. According to the perception survey of dental professionals on oral health in Chile, carried out in 2022 by the Sonrisas Foundation, professionals in this field claim that 94% of Chileans do not have the necessary oral hygiene habits.

In this sense, something that is more than clear is that to prevent problems and keep dental hygiene at bay, it is necessary to brush your teeth correctly and at the right frequency.

But that’s not the only thing we should pay attention to when it comes to habits.

At different times of routine, at work, at school, at a social gathering or in an emergency, We could resort to practices that we are not always aware of, but which actually cause great deterioration of the teeth. Some of them are incorporated in adulthood and others tend to occur more in childhood. Here, what two dental specialists said.

According to Vives, one of the most harmful habits for teeth and widespread in the population is consume foods high in sugars.

“Diets marked by sugar are very harmful to oral health, because they promote environments conducive to the generation of cavities. Caries is the main disease that affects the oral cavity . I would say that’s part of what determines a person’s oral health, whether it’s a child or an adult.”

Following the line of the specialist, a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that Chile is among the countries with the highest number of untreated cavities in people over five years old.

Second, Vives points out that another harmful practice is the smoking because it produces repercussions such as teeth with a more yellowish tint, stains, tartar accumulation and in some cases bad breath.

The effects will also show up in the gums of those who tend to smoke regularly, which results in periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis . While the first is a treatable and reversible disease, the second is chronic.

Constanza Tegtmeier, pediatric dentist at IntegraMédica explains that periodontitis “affects the bones that support the teeth. It doesn’t go away, it doesn’t heal, but it can be controlled. Cigarettes make it easier to lose bone around the teeth and it can loosen them.” smoking increases the risk of oral cancer.

Excess consumption of citrus fruits , such as oranges or lemons, is another denture maintenance risk. The reason lies in the large amount of acidity they contain, which could be abrasive in this structure.

“It generates an impact on the tooth enamel, makes it more susceptible to sensitivity, tooth wear and also causes chemical erosion. In the case of sucking citrus fruits, as if you were sucking lemon or oranges whole the day is the same,” says Tegtemeier.

Use baking soda to whiten teeth It is a method that some may not integrate regularly, but from time to time. According to dentists, this procedure has no positive effect on health and is not recommended by specialists.

“It is strongly contraindicated, they are abrasive substances that end up damaging the tooth enamel and are not guided by any professional”, explains the UDP academic.

If someone wants to remove yellowish tones or stains from their teeth, the best option is to consult a specialist, who could analyze the possibility of providing a specific treatment depending on each case.

“Under no circumstances should you opt for at-home measures to whiten your teeth or clean them with supplies that are not dental, but intended for cooking or other things. It doesn’t have a good result at all.” says the expert.

The pediatric dentist IntegraMédica, meanwhile, says that the use of bicarbonate to whiten teeth is just a myth: “There are pastes that contain bicarbonate, but in other concentrations and presentations. Even the excess can generate alterations in the oral mucosa”.

Sharing the toothbrush It is also a seemingly harmless measure, but the reality is that it attracts various health risks. According to Tegtmeier, this means directly sharing infectious processes that people normally have, as well as infectious processes that may be problematic and more advanced.

It is possible that at some point you have seen someone who, when nervous or bored, starts to Bite one’s nails and almost can’t stop. This habit, known as onychophagia, calms the momentary anxiety of the person who performs it, but promotes consequences such as sensitivity, wear, chipping of the teeth and even oral infections.

Other actions that fall into the same category are chewing crayons, ice, or any hard object. “It can cause tooth fractures and erosions because it rubs against the structure,” says Tegtmeier.

Drink lots of tea or coffee it creates more short-term effects on people’s tooth enamel, as it leaves them with a more yellowish tint. According to Tegtmeier, another side effect of excessive consumption of these drinks is to promote greater neuromuscular activity linked to bruxism, or the habit of clenching and grinding your teeth.

Sucking on objects like a pacifier and bottle or the same finger, can mean great damage to the dental health of children, especially when it continues to be done for a long time despite the fact that the age is no longer appropriate.

The reason? This problem is directly related to the formation of the mandibular and maxillary bones of children. “It also leaves damage in the malocclusion, i.e. how you bite and what type of bite you get” Vives said.

Dentists stress that if you want to keep your teeth and mouth healthier, hygiene is paramount. Mouth brushing is what comes first and cannot be compromised, but there are other additional gestures that allow further progress towards care.

A person should brush their teeth at least twice a day, for which fluoride toothpaste should be used. . It is also recommended to use dental floss to achieve correct interdental hygiene, since “because the brush does not reach the spaces between the teeth”, emphasizes Vives.

As for mouthwashes, the director of the UDP School of Dentistry assures that there are some that are more cosmetic and are related to the feeling of freshness that can remain after using it, so this is not a mandatory habit because it is brushing.

“I would prefer that each patient, depending on his situation, consult the dentist and there he will administer the mouthwash if necessary”, he specifies. Dental exams should be done every six months to verify that no new pathology or advancement of existing pathologies has appeared.

In addition, a complementary care measure is to adopt a more balanced diet that does not contain a very high amount of carbohydrates and sugars because it has an impact on oral diseases and the rest of the body.

“In both adults and children, limit the daily intake of sugar. Also, it is best to limit the use of tobacco and the consumption of beverages such as alcohol, coffee and tea as much as possible”,

Regarding the infant population and the generalization of the use of pacifiers or bottles, Vives emphasizes that it is not that they are prohibited from use, but that Some actions can be taken to start gradually suspending these customs and not generating changes in the dental health of children.

“For education, it’s simple: after one year you have to give up the night bottle, at two years the bottle in general and at three years the pacifier”, specifies the academic. Moreover, he recommends that the ideal should be that “no child knows about sugar” as such before the age of two.

Tegtmeier ends with the fact that, although it is something that people do not always associate with the care of their teeth, it is optimal that cut down or stop using all types of screens at least two hours before bed at night.

“Screens generate prolonged muscle activity while you are at rest. When you sleep, your muscle tends to make involuntary contraction movements and this is linked to bruxism,” he concludes.