We wanted to compile a list of things that we have seen at Smile Essential Dental Practice that seem to cause our patients in Leicester avoidable dental treatment to help you from making the same mistakes and landing an emergency appointment to see the dentist.
Forks – This may come as a surprise to you and we are not suggesting for a moment that you start eating with a spoon instead or heaven forbid your fingers! You may have never noticed this before but, we guarantee that now you know you’ll see. All too often at restaurants the prongs of the fork are bent slightly out of line and can chip your teeth. Keep an eye out for this and ask the waiter to change it for you.
Fizzy drinks – We are in no doubt that you know that fizzy drinks are bad for your teeth, but why? Fizzy drinks are a cocktail for decay because they combine many various negatives components. The high sugar content which causes decay combined with the acidity with weakens the teeth, the frequent sipping keeps your teeth under attack and the fact the liquid washes around all of your teeth makes it a recipe for disaster. This includes diet fizzy drinks.
Ice cubes – We’ve seen a few people at Smile Essential dental practice with broken teeth or fillings after chewing on ice cubes. It’s surprisingly common for people to suck on ice cubes. They may be sugar-free but the irresistible urged to crunch could land you an unnecessary trip to see the dentist.
Pens – Whilst they’re not very tasty this little pen nibbling habit could chip one your front teeth. Absent-mindedly chewing on pen lids or tops is notorious for creating little chips in your teeth. If you have already have had dental work done such as crowns, veneers or fillings it could chip them off, making that a very expensive habit.
Bottle and jar lids – It’s frustrating not being able to get into your favourite jar of pasta sauce or open a beer when you can’t find a bottle opener, but do so at your peril! The extra pressure you put on your teeth might cause a crack so big it requires extensive dental treatment.
Toffee – This one tends to be a Christmas a special. If you’ve ever had jaw ache from chewing toffee you’re not alone. But all that chewing could dislodge a filling, we see this so often in the dental clinic. Another drawback of toffee is the sticky sugary nature of it, it gets stuck to your teeth and causes them to be under attack for longer.
M&M’s – Yes we love M&M’s too! M&M’s are high in sugar but that’s not what has earned them a place in ‘7 things you should never put in your mouth’, it’s the hard nature of them. Again we have seen patients that were munching away on M&M’s and broke a filling. If you haven’t got any fillings approach with caution and keep in moderation but if you have a number of fillings it’s probably best to avoid altogether.
If you’re long overdue a dental health check take a look at our new patient package and get the healthy mouth confidence you deserve.
