Many people have bad habits that can be particularly harmful if you wear braces and can also prolong the length of your orthodontic treatment. Beware of these five habits that could potentially result in problems during your orthodontic treatment with Dr. Ashley Reynolds at Crescent Orthodontics in South Lyon, Michigan.
1. Crunching on ice can cause serious damage to your teeth; even your blender needs special blades to crush ice! Remember, teeth are designed to crush through things, not against them. Furthermore, crunching on ice can bend/remove your brackets, or break your wires.
2. Using your teeth as tools – Your teeth are meant for 3 things: to chew food, to speak properly, and our favorite at Crescent Orthodontics, to look better when smiling! Please avoid tearing open packages, biting nails as these can break your appliances or in some cases your teeth.
3. Absentmindedly chewing on whatever you have in your hand like pens, pencils, and eyeglasses. Are you doing it right now? Stop! Dr. Reynolds stresses that by doing this, you are putting more pressure on your teeth than you may even realize. This can change their alignment, as well as damage your brackets and wires.
4. Constantly sipping on soda, fruit juices and sports drinks (even diet too) over a long period of time can be detrimental to your teeth. You are literally washing your teeth in sugar and acid, and in the long term can lead to decay and damage to your enamel.
5. Excessive snacking raises the acidity level in your mouth for a prolonged period of time. When you snack, it takes your saliva about an hour to return the acidity level in your mouth back to normal. If you are snacking constantly, the acidity level will be high, which causes decay and enamel erosion around the areas of your brackets.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Ashley Reynolds and her fabulous team at Crescent Orthodontics at 248-437-3377. Keep smiling!
