Eight Ways to Ruin Your Teeth

A ‘what not to do’ guide for our Bromley patients.

We have written quite a few blog posts on the Smile Dental Practice website and understandably, most of these have been how to take care of your oral health, along with advising of the benefits of dental implants etc.

This time, we thought it would be good to take a look at some of the habits that can actually really affect your teeth in a negative way. Many of these we have seen at our Bromley practice, as no doubt have most dentists across the UK!

1. Don’t brush your teeth – This one is obvious, and, thankfully, most people do at least brush their teeth. This does need to be done correctly though and we are happy to advise if you are not sure.
2. Don’t floss – Around 80% of us don’t floss. If you fail to do this, you are likely to suffer from dental decay or gum disease, caused by the build up of foodstuffs and bacteria between the teeth.
3. Use an old toothbrush – Current guidance is that you should change your toothbrush every three months. Whilst an extra month or so from time to time may not hurt, we have had patients who had used the same toothbrush for over a year, and more, and were surprised at this and how ineffective and old brush can be.
4. Use non fluoride toothpaste – Some health shops sell non fluoride toothpaste and whilst it is every patient’s right to use what toothpaste they choose, our professional opinion at the Smile Dental Practice, is that only fluoride toothpastes will keep the enamel on your teeth strong and healthy.
5. Let fear stop you seeing a dentist – We appreciate that, for some people, dental visits are very frightening indeed. Despite this though, ignoring your appointments will almost certainly result in deterioration of your oral health. For this reason, we offer sedation dentistry at our Bromley dental clinic for very nervous patients.
6. Eat too much sugar – Aside from the risk of obesity and diabetes, high sugar consumption is almost certain to lead to tooth decay.
7. Smoke or drink to excess – As well as the increased risks of oral cancers, smoking and drinking are likely to lead to a dry mouth which allows the gingival bacteria to multiply. This is likely to result in gum disease along with related problems such as halitosis.
8. Open bottles – Yes, hard as it may be to believe, some people do actually do this! Whether for a lack of a bottle opener or simply to show off, we have seen a few patients over the years who have badly chipped or broken a tooth by performing this act. We can, of course, usually restore the tooth with a dental crown or similar, but we are sure that patients would prefer to keep their own teeth if possible.

Some of these guidelines are fairly obvious, whilst others may be less so. The fact is though, that keeping our teeth strong and healthy really is not that difficult with a decent diet, regular oral care and twice yearly checks at the Smile Dental Practice in Bromley.

To see one of our local dentists, please call our reception team on 020 8462 2473.