If you bite your nails, or use your teeth to rip of clothing tags, our staff at Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry urges you to stop. You may not realize it, but habits such as these can damage your smile and although we love to see you in our office, we don’t want you to chip a tooth! Lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking wine or eating foods that are high in carbohydrates can cause tooth discoloration (which can be reversed), but a few of the following habits can cause a little more damage than that.
- Having mouth jewelry – Tongue piercings especially are highly discouraged by dentists. Tongue piercings can cause teeth to chip or break, requiring dental work. They can also rub against the gums and cause permanent gum recession, which can lead to sensitivity and even tooth loss.
- Grinding teeth – Grinding or clenching teeth also known as "bruxism" puts pressure on teeth, jaw muscles, and the jaw joint causing pain. This habit can lead to temporomandibular joint or TMJ disorder which you may need a custom-made mouth guard to treat.
- Chewing on ice – Chewing ice may seem harmless, but this unconscious habit can cause permanent damage to our teeth with small cracks. These cracks can grow larger over time and ultimately cause a tooth to fracture.
If any of these habits is causing you to damage your teeth, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.allentowndentist.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Jason Pellegrino at Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA, call 610-530-7901.
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