Don't Ruin Your Smile: 4 Things That Could Be Jeopardizing Your Teeth

If you're like most people, you want to keep your teeth for as long as possible. You probably brush your teeth twice a day, and see your dentist twice a year. Doing all the right things will go a long way towards protecting your teeth. Unfortunately, doing things wrong can undo all the hard work you're putting in to keeping your teeth healthy and strong. Here are things you could be doing that may be jeopardizing the health of your teeth.

1. Trying DIY Dental Treatments

Just about anything can be turned into a do-it-yourself project these days, including dental treatments. There are do-it-yourself treatments for everything from tooth whitening to tooth straightening. Unfortunately, those do-it-yourself dental treatments aren't always good for your teeth. In fact, they can end up doing more harm than good. For instance, home teeth whitening treatments can destroy the enamel on your teeth. If your teeth are in need of whitening, schedule a whitening session with your dentist.

2. Overdoing It with the Lemon Water

Drinking more water is a great way to keep your teeth healthy. Unfortunately, if you've started adding lemon to your water, you could be doing more harm than good. You know that drinking sugary or carbonated beverages can be harmful to your teeth. However, you might not realize that overdoing it with the lemon water can be just as harmful. That's because the acidity in the lemon can eat away at the enamel on your teeth, leaving them vulnerable to cavities and decay. To protect your teeth, try to limit the amount of lemon water you drink each day. Also, instead of allowing the lemon slice to float in the water, squeeze a small amount of the juice into your glass and then set the lemon slice aside.

3. Using a Stiff-bristled Toothbrush

When it comes to brushing your teeth, excessive scrubbing isn't necessarily the best way to go, especially if you're using a stiff-bristled toothbrush. It might seem that using a stiff-bristled toothbrush would remove more food particles and plaque. While that might be true, those stiff-bristles are also removing protective enamel, and creating small cuts and abrasions in your gums. You can get your teeth clean, and prevent damage, by using a soft-bristled toothbrush instead.

4. Choosing the Wrong Time to Brush

You might not realize this, but when you eat or drink anything, the enamel on your teeth becomes soft. If you're brushing your teeth right after you eat or drink, you could be damaging that softened enamel. To avoid the damage to your enamel, either brush your teeth before you eat, or wait about 30 minutes to brush your teeth after a meal.

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