Since 1949, Emergency Dentist has been serving Philadelphia with the distinction that has made us known throughout the city. All of the major hospitals in the Philadelphia center city area come to us first with patients who need the quality services and expertise in restorative dentistry. Today we’re here to talk about common dental mistakes that you may not even realize that you’re making. Remember, you only get one set of choppers, and repair costs more than prevention.
1. Brushing too hard. If you brush too vigorously, you can wear away at your enamel and cause sensitivity and even gum recession. Make sure you have a brush with soft bristles and that when you brush your teeth, you brush in a circular motion and not side to side.
2. Eating too many acidic foods. Acidic foods wear down your tooth enamel, causing sensitivity issues and worse. That’s a problem because that top protective layer of enamel on our teeth never grows back. Some particular culprits are: sodas, orange juice, sports drinks, lemons, wine, and sour gummy candies. If you must have that soda or glass of wine, at least balance the pH in your mouth by drinking water after.
3. You’re whitening your teeth too much. It’s normal to want white teeth, but as we get older our teeth naturally get darker. Excessive whitening will erode your enamel over time.
4. Chasing down hot pizza with a cold drink. We’re all guilty of this! When you bite into a hot pizza, your enamel expands. When you take that drink of cold water or soda, you’re causing your enamel to contract. This creates what is called a craze line – where the enamel cracks and stains appear.