If you work in an office, you may not think that sitting at a desk all day could place your teeth at risk. However, while you may not be taking part in a physical activity which could knock out or break a tooth, you may still be doing things which are compromising your dental health. Below is a guide to 2 habits which could be causing damage to your smile.

Chewing on pencils or pens

When you pause to think about what you are writing on your memo pad, do you ever find yourself chewing on the end of your pen or pencil? When you were a baby, placing things inside your mouth was a way of figuring out what they are. Babies are also given rubber pacifiers to help to keep them quiet. For some people, the need to have something in their mouth continues into adulthood, which is why it can feel nice to chew on the end of a pencil or pen. However, the pressure created on your teeth when you repeatedly bite down on a writing instrument could eventually cause them to crack. If you need the feel to chew on something, you should buy some sugar-free gum to work, as this will help to stimulate the production of saliva, which will help to keep your mouth healthy by killing bacteria and washing debris from the surface of your teeth.

Using your teeth to open things

If you receive a package in the post which has been sealed with packing tape, you may be tempted to try and open it by biting into the tape. Once you have done this, you may be able to peel off a strip of packing tape. However, doing this places your teeth at risk. While the tape itself may seem to pose little risk to your teeth, the action of clenching your jaw and pressing your teeth together can eventually wear away the outer layer of enamel on your teeth. The enamel is the hard outer part of the tooth, which is the first line of defence against tooth decay. You should always use a pair of scissors to open any well-packed mail which is delivered to the office. If you cannot find any, you should ask the maintenance guy if he has a craft blade.

If you would like to find out more about how you can protect your teeth or repair damage caused by these bad habits, you should contact a cosmetic dentist today.

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