Bad Oral Health Habits

At Vargas Dental Associates, our team works hard to ensure our patients have optimal oral health. Aside from treating our patients, we want to be sure that our patients of every age know how to properly care for their teeth. We see our patients so infrequently during the year, the majority of oral health care is in the hands of the patients. Unfortunately, there are some patients who have habits that may be negatively affecting the state of their oral health and can lead to serious issues in the future. We wanted to share some of the bad habits that you might want to change:

Biting Your Nails
Many people have a bad habit of biting their nails. Not only does it introduce more bacteria in your mouth, it can also cause sores to develop in your mouth as well as cause your front teeth to become damaged over time.

Using Teeth as Tools
Teeth seem like a handy tool when a package needs to be opened, a tag needs to be cut, or a bottle needs to be opened. We recommend taking the extra time to use a proper tool such as scissors or a bottle opener. Using teeth improperly can lead to the front teeth becoming chipped or cracked.

Grinding Teeth
A number of people grind their teeth, especially during sleep, and are surprised to learn they have this bad habit. Teeth grinding can lead to premature and uneven wear of the tooth enamel, as well as the rear molars cracking and breaking.

If you are in the Bowie, MD area and are concerned that any of these bad habits have already caused damage to your teeth, please call our office to schedule an appointment. We also recommend contacting our office if it has been quite some time since your last hygiene examination and cleaning. We can work together to come up with a dental plan that is right for you and your needs. We look forward to seeing you soon!