It is well known that proper dental health will not only allow us to have a better smile, but is also key to overall health. In fact, tooth decay or inflamed gums have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, an increased risk of Alzheimer's, and a greater chance of complications from diabetes.
Without a doubt, brushing and flossing, as well as regular cleanings and examinations, are the best ways to keep our mouth healthy , but there are also certain elements of our supposedly healthy lifestyle that are destroying our teeth Without us realizing. Find out what they are.
7 supposedly healthy habits that destroy your teeth
1. Drink lemon water
Lemon water is said to do wonders for your health, from improving hydration to supplying vitamins to promoting detoxification. However, lemons are among the most acidic foods, and drinking lemon water throughout the day can expose your teeth to greater amounts of acid than they can handle.
The acid in lemon can destroy tooth enamel, and when this happens, the tooth structure is completely vulnerable. As a result, you may lose some of the mineralization that makes the tooth strong, thus increasing the risk of tooth decay.
To prevent this, get a substitute for lemon water or minimize acid exposure by drinking lemon water quickly.
2. Ingest unprocessed sweeteners
When we decide to stop consuming processed sugar, we tend to turn to healthier natural sweeteners like maple syrup, coconut sugar, and honey. And while it is true that most natural sweeteners have some nutritional value, they are not necessarily better for your teeth than processed sugars.
The reality is that while natural sugars can have some beneficial effects on the glycemic index, the bacteria in your mouth cannot tell a difference. For this reason, the healthiest thing is to consume healthy sweeteners occasionally to avoid cavities.
3. Use homemade toothpaste
Many people are fans of natural beauty products, but without a doubt, homemade toothpaste is just where you should draw a line.
Commercial toothpastes are tested to ensure that they are not too abrasive on the teeth. This type of evaluation does not happen on homemade toothpastes, which means that they can be too harsh on the enamel.
Materials like baking soda, salt, and charcoal are too abrasive and can quickly damage the enamel on your teeth. Over time, that damage will increase the sensitivity of the teeth and increase the risk of new cavities.
4. Excessive brushing of teeth
Anyone might think that vigorous brushing for minutes after every meal is a good thing. But, what most do not know is that brushing for more than 2 minutes will not improve oral health at all. In fact, it could make it worse.
Over-brushing can damage gum tissue, and over time, gums can move away from your teeth, causing tooth sensitivity and exposing the roots to horrible cavities.
The best thing to do is follow dentist-recommended two-minute brushing sessions to remove plaque without damaging your gums .
5. Consume lots of juices
Many of us always hear about how healthy it is to drink fruit or vegetable juices to get the minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and phytonutrients necessary for a healthy lifestyle. However, it is important that you know that most packaged juices and freshly squeezed juices are usually loaded with sugar, which can cause decay and erosion on the teeth.
To prevent this, it is best to quickly ingest the juice without keeping it in the mouth for long, or consume certain juices that are not harmful to the teeth, such as those that only contain vegetables that tend to be lower in sugar.
6. Eat nuts
Nuts, in addition to being very tasty, offer many nutritional benefits. But, snacking on nuts can mean a high cost to your teeth.
The problem is that nuts tend to have a lot of concentrated sugar , and because dried fruit is especially sticky, it can get lodged in small grooves and crevices in the teeth, becoming a buffet for bacteria that cause nasty cavities.
Therefore, the nut is a great snack, as long as you are diligent not to leave it in your teeth afterwards.
7. Drink bottled drinking water
Choosing bottled water over tap water can be surprisingly bad for your teeth. This happens because you are missing the opportunity to impregnate your teeth with fluoride, a mineral that helps strengthen your enamel and makes your teeth more resistant to cavities . For this reason, many dentists recommend that their patients brush with a fluoride toothpaste and drink tap water to make sure they are getting enough.
The best thing you can do is occasionally swap your bottled water with a glass of tap water to make sure you're getting enough of this mineral.
conclusion
Many habits that are considered healthy have the potential to destroy our teeth if we do not stop for a moment to take action to take care of our teeth .
With small modifications, we can make habits such as drinking lemon water or juices, ingesting unprocessed sugar and eating nuts give us all their healthy potential without exposing our teeth to diseases such as cavities, tooth sensitivity or inflammation of the gums.
Over time we will be able to thank our teeth that we are less prone to cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's and not having unpleasant complications due to suffering from diabetes.
Reference
- Tremblay, S. 10 Healthy Habits That Are Destroying Your Teeth. For Livestrong [Revised October 2018]
