Top 10 Habits that Harm Teeth

From chewing on ice to drinking white wine, there are plenty of ordinary ways to crack, stain, or put a cavity in your smile.

1. Chewing on Ice- It's natural  sugar-free, so you might think ice is harmless. Not so, munching on ice can chip or even crack your teeth.  Next time you get the urge for ice, chew some sugarless gum instead.





Protect your Smile!

2. Playing sports with no mouthguard- Whether you play football ,working out @ the gym, or any other contact sport, protect your teeth with a mouthguard.  Contact us @ 941.492.3211 for a custom made guard or @ least purchased a self -fitting one @ a store.






3. Bedtime Bottles- It's never to early to protect teeth. Giving a baby a bedtime bottle (Milk, Juice or Formula) can put new teeth on a path to decay>>> Nursing Bottle Syndrome. It's best to keep the bottle out of the crib.



Keep bottles out of cribs.



4. Tongue Piercing- Tongue piercings may be trendy, but biting down on a metal stud can crack teeth. The mouth is also a haven for bacteria, so piercings raise the risk of infections.

5. Grinding teeth- Teeth grinding (Bruxism) can wear teeth down overtime. It is most often caused by stress & sleeping habits.  Wearing an occlusal guard @ night can reduce/prevent harming tooth structure & pain in the joints (TMJ) caused by the habit.



Don't keep quitting !

 6. Smoking-Cigarettes- as well as other tobacco products, can stain your teeth & cause them to fall out as result of gum (periodontal) disease.  Tobacco can also cause cancer of the mouth, lips, & tongue.  If you need a reason to quit, thinks of your SMILE!

7. Drinking Coffee- Coffee dark color & acidity can cause yellowing of the teeth overtime.  Fortunately, it's one of the best stain to treat with various whitening methods. Contact us @ 941.492.3211 & schedule an appt. & ask about our whitening for life program.

 8. Drinking Red & White Wines- The acids eat away @ tooth enamel, creating rough spots that make teeth more vulnerable to staining. Red wines also contain a deep pigment called chrogen & tannis, which helps the color to stick to the teeth.

9. Chewing Pencils- Do you ever chew on your pencils when concentrating on work or studies? Like crunching on ice, this habit can cause teeth to chip or crack.  Sugarless gum is a better option when you feel the need to chew. Gum will trigger the flow of saliva, which can make the teeth sronger & protect against enamel eating acids.

10. Sports/Energy Drinks- There is no doubt a cold sport/ energy drink is refreshing after a good workout.  But these drinks are usually high in sugar & acids.  Like pop (Soda) or candy, sport/energy drinks create an acid attack on the enamel of your teeth .  Drinking them frequently can lead to decay.  A betterway to stay hydrated @ the gym is to chug sugar -free & calorie free water.


High in  sugars & acids