What are the most serious offenders to healthy teeth and gums? Find out for yourself if your habits are harming your mouth.

1. Smoking

Not only is smoking seriously harming to your oral health – it is the leading preventable cause of death. Smoking causes an array of medical problems, including damaging your mouth and gums. Smoking stains the teeth, causes bad breath, rapidly increases your chances of tooth loss, gum disease, a slower recovery from dental work and a much higher chance of developing mouth cancer.

2. Sugar

The best way to avoid tooth decay and dental caries is by monitoring your diet and your consumption of sugary foods and drinks. The plaque constantly forming a barrier on our teeth feast on the sugar from the foods and drinks we eat, forming acids that break down the enamel on our teeth. Prevent deterioration of your teeth by minimising your sugar intake, so there are less harmful bacteria feasting inside your mouth wreaking havoc inside your mouth.

3. Sports drinks

These sugary drinks have plenty of unhealthy ingredients, and when consumed at the rate that athletes do, can erode away at your enamel very rapidly. This addiction to sports drinks contain a lot of acid and additives that are incredibly harmful to our mouths.

4. Grinding

Teeth grinding, known as bruxism, is incredibly damaging for our oral health. Involuntarily clenching, gritting or gnashing our teeth can be the direct result of stress, anxiety, focus, or even sleep disorders. The throbbing teeth, jaw pain and headaches from this condition are the least concerning side effects – with long term effects including loosening of teeth from the gums, fracturing, aching jaws and joint disorders, receding gums and reducing teeth to stumps. Often muscle relaxants, mouthguards, physical therapy, massage, upping water intake, reducing alcohol consumption and taking more time out to sleep and relax are common remedies to overcome this condition.

5. Piercings

While an oral piercing might be appealing, it can have serious drawbacks on your dental health that are much more serious than piercing your ears, for instance. A tongue, cheek or lip piercing can lead to an infection, cracked or chipped teeth, and gum or nerve damage, because your piercing is in contact with your bacteria and the chance of interference in your mouth if not cared for properly.

6. Gum disease

Not keeping on top of plaque build-up by regularly brushing and flossing your teeth means that the layer upon your teeth can harden and form tartar, leading to gingivitis or periodontitis, the two main stages of gum disease.

7. Avoiding check-ups

We all know how important maintaining good oral hygiene is for our overall health, but plenty of us avoid checking in with our dentist on a regular basis. Having a professional skilled in checking for often invisible signs of damage and early disease looking at your teeth, performing a routine cleaning or teaching you how best to care for your oral health at home is so important to minimise short and long term complications.

When is the last time you saw a dentist? Visit Wisdom Dental Emergency and meet with a dentist from our friendly Melbourne and Sydney teams of professionals today. Call us FREE on 1800 WISDOM or visit www.wisdomdentalemergency.com.au.