Even though you might regularly brush, floss, and rinse your teeth, there are still big chances that your lifestyle is hurting your oral health. There are various diseases such as gingivitis that occur due to poor lifestyle choices, all of which will certainly cause you to feel discomfort and pain.
If you’ve been experiencing issues with your teeth – even though you clean them regularly and properly – you might be wondering whether or not your lifestyle is affecting them. To help you determine whether or not you need to change your daily routine, here are 6 ways your lifestyle might be affecting your dental health:
Table of Contents
1. Sugary Beverages + Food
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Before we take a look at some other things that might be causing your teeth to deteriorate, you should know that sugary beverages and food are some of the most common causes of tooth decay. The healthy bacteria located in your mouth can easily convert sugar into acids that are completely unhealthy for your teeth, and over time, they’ll slowly, but surely damage the surface of a tooth, and at the same time, they’ll attack your enamel, thus, causing decay.
Nonetheless, it is quite difficult to avoid sugar, especially since it’s almost in everything. This is one of the reasons why you must read the labels on the products you purchase, and by doing so, you’ll know exactly how much sugar is in it. Because sugary drinks contain lots of sugar, it might be best if you avoid consuming them, and instead, opt for some fresh homemade juice. If you cannot avoid consuming them, drink them moderately, and ensure that you rinse your mouth with water afterward.
2. Consuming Tobacco
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There is no need to tell you how much tobacco can affect your overall health, but it’s worth mentioning that it’ll definitely affect the condition of your oral health. For starters, the nicotine and tar found in tobacco products will stain your teeth over time. Besides this, it can also lead to gum illnesses since it can easily cause bacteria to build up in your mouth. This is because it’ll hinder oxygen from your blood, thus, your gums will certainly heal slowly.
Additionally, you should know that over 85 percent of people who suffer from cancer of the tongue, lips, or other parts of the mouth used or still use tobacco, which means that the chances of someone developing it can increase. Statistics even show that smokers are 6 times more likely to develop these types of cancer than people who don’t consume tobacco. Hence, if possible, you might want to quit or at least lower the amount you consume.
3. Alcoholic Beverages
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Many people don’t believe that alcoholic beverages can affect their oral health, there are big chances that it actually is. Of course, moderate consumption such as a glass of wine or a bottle of beer won’t impact your teeth as much as other things on this list, heavy consumption definitely will, which is why you might want to be extra careful.
Individuals that commonly consume a lot of alcohol on a daily level tend to have a high plaque level on their teeth, which is one of the main reasons why they almost always suffer from permanent teeth loss. It’ll also damage the enamel on your teeth, causing them to stain, and the worst thing about it is that it contains high levels of sugar, thus, your teeth might decay faster. This is why you might want to cut down on these beverages.
Scheduling regular checks is crucial to keeping your teeth healthy and if you love to get a few drinks every now and then, you might as well check in with your dentist. For more information visit https://www.mybridgewaterdentist.com.
4. Your Sleeping Habits Can Also Be a Factor
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Did you know that individuals who get approximately 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day have a decreased risk of developing gum and teeth diseases? Yup, if you haven’t been getting enough sleep lately, it could affect the condition of your teeth. How is that possible? Well, a lack of sleep can cause inflammation, and when your gums become irritated and inflamed – known as gingivitis – you could experience aches and pains frequently, thus, get enough sleep!
5. Lack of Sports And Physical Activities
Source: medicalnewstoday.com
Although a lot of people don’t realize this, sports and physical activities won’t only contribute to their overall health and well-being, but they’ll also contribute to their oral health. For example, some studies concluded that people who get their dose of weekly exercise are less prone to developing periodontal illnesses than individuals who choose not to exercise or be physically active for at least 15 to 30 minutes every day.
But, how can physical activities and exercise help the condition of my teeth? Well, it’s really easy to understand. For instance, if you suffer from diabetes, being physically active will help you control your blood sugar levels, which means that it’ll be easier for you to develop gum diseases. And, since exercising will help you control the stress and tension you might feel, it can lead to you grinding your teeth less than you usually do – all of which will be beneficial for your well-being and oral health.
6. Be Careful About Your Diet
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If there is one thing that you should take away from this article, it’s the fact that you must have a balanced diet – something that is important for your overall health as well. By consuming the right nutrients, minerals, and vitamins, you’ll make sure that both your gums and teeth have everything they need to be healthy and to thrive, and besides this, consuming wholesome meals will help you control the cravings you might have, thus, it might be easier for you to avoid consuming sugary drinks, food, as well as snacks.
Conclusion
Yes, it’s entirely true, your lifestyle can and definitely will affect your oral health. Not only can consuming sugary drinks, tobacco, and alcohol damage the enamel on your teeth, these things could also cause various gum and teeth diseases, which you’ll definitely want to avoid.
Since you now know what things could affect the condition of your teeth, don’t lose any more time. Instead, you might want to start thinking about what things affect your teeth the most, and from there, make a plan that’ll include a new diet, a few extra exercise sessions, and lower consumption of sugary and alcoholic beverages.
