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NYC Smile Design - BLOG - Ten Suggestions for Poor Oral Health

March 15th, 2011 | 2 min read

By NYC Smile Design

In previous blogs you have read what to do if you wanted to keep your mouth healthy. But on the off chance that you have no interest in having the best oral health, or the best overall health that goes with it, below are 10 suggestions:

1. Do Not Brush or Floss

If you have no desire for better health, or for avoiding bad breath, do not bother with brushing.  This essential step can cause a lot of problems– including setting the stage for tooth decay and gingivitis. In the absence of good hygiene, the mouth begins to break down, allowing plaque buildup on the gum line. This creates an acidic environment, encouraging the presence of bacteria and viruses that cause teeth to decay.

2. Eat a lot of Sugars

Hidden sugar in your food creates a breeding ground for decay when your teeth are exposed to it frequently, or for long periods of time. So go ahead and drink the sodas, eat candy, snack on sugary foods.

3. Smoke

Smoking is the cause of lot of dental health problems. Some of these include, but are not limited to, bad breath, stained teeth, shrinking gums and mouth sores. Smoking is bad for the overall health of your mouth and gums so, if you don’t want to keep your mouth healthy, be sure to do it.

4. Don’t visit your dentist for cleanings and check-ups

Dentists check not only for decay, but also for gum disease, oral cancer, and healthy functioning of the jaws and teeth. Not going to the dentist will assure that you are not aware of the state of you oral health, nor have access to a thorough professional cleaning.

5. Ignore your bleeding gums

While healthy gums are essential for your oral health, if you don’t want a healthy mouth, then you don’t have to maintain healthy gums. Ignoring your gums will increase their chances of becoming irritated and swollen. Left untreated, they recede, causing the teeth to loosen, and weakening the supporting bone.

6. Do not Eat a healthy diet

If you have a beautiful smile, yet you do not keep a healthy diet, your mouth will be affected eventually. For example, if you don’t eat a well-balanced diet supplemented with Vitamin D, you will find yourself susceptible to brittle bones, which will soon translate to brittle teeth.

7. Do Not Drink water

Increasing your water intake would help maintain healthy levels of saliva, helping to keep your mouth clean and countering the effects of many medications that affect saliva levels adversely

8. Chew on nails and pens, and suck on lemons

Chewing on any hard object will not only risk cracking your tooth, but can also lead to fractured, cracked, chipped and worn front teeth. Sucking on lemons will do severe damage to your teeth. The acidity of the lemons can cause the enamel to become weak, resulting in brittle teeth, sensitive to hot and cold.

9. Don’t pay attention to the medication you take

Most medications can contribute to dry mouth and can lead to tooth decay, oral fungal infections, or speaking/swallowing difficulties. If you are taking Dilantin and Beta-Blockers, they will also cause excessive growth of gum, which can result in the shifting of your teeth.

10. Increase your Stress and grind your teeth

Stress can lead to grinding your teeth. This condition, known as Bruxism, is known to lead to a variety of dental problems, including excessive wear of your teeth, fracturing your teeth, loosening of your teeth, soreness of the facial muscles, and a limited ability to open your mouth as a result of pain in the jaw joints.

Of course you are encouraged to keep your mouth as healthy as possible. However, you do have the choice to take care or not take care of your mouth.

It’s up to you!