Asking yourself, “Am I too hard on my smile?” can leave you speechless. If you’re not sure how you should be treating your smile, it can be difficult to determine how well you’re doing with your approach to protecting it! Rest assured, you are not the only patient who has ever become somewhat confused about how to treat your smile. Even better? Gaining the clarity you need to feel certain you’re doing your best for your oral health is very simple. We are happy to answer your questions, provide demonstrations, offer suggestions, and more! Just ask.
Questions and Answers
Question: Is it a good thing or a bad thing to press hard when I brush my teeth?
Answer: This is not good for your oral health. When you’re heavy-handed during brushing sessions (flossing, too), it can irritate your gums. They may begin to pull away from your teeth, leaving you with recession that needs attention. Brush gently.
Question: Does it make my teeth or my jaws stronger to bite into hard food that offers a lot of resistance? Or, am I making a dangerous decision for my smile by forcing my teeth and jaws to do so much work?
Answer: Actually, this stresses your teeth as well as your jaws. This can lead to stress fractures or breaks in your teeth, as well as strain and the development of TMJ disorder in your jaw joints. If you need to use a lot of force to eat something, you need to choose a different type of food!
Question: When I can’t open a package, I often rely on my teeth if scissors aren’t nearby. Is this okay for my oral health or should I stop practicing this habit?
Answer: This is never a good idea. It only takes one motion to accidentally break or dislodge a tooth or to cut your gum tissue.
