By Dr. Joseph Lim
There’s a dark side to healthy habits like drinking spring water, brushing after you eat, and even exercising: They could be damaging your pearly whites.
Or just simply chewing on hard objects. Now, who among us is not guilty of chewing on ice?
It seemed fun especially when we were all younger. Who would have thought that the damage on teeth is significant. The reason is obvious: Ice is solid and hard, and cause fissures and cracks in teeth.
This is true not just with ice, but also with hard candies and other just as firm chewables.
Solid chewable objects can adversely affect the contours of the teeth and impacts on the bite. And they can be painful to the jaws.
A seemingly good but could be bad habit is too much intense brushing your teeth. It may be bad for oral health.
All those brushing when done at an overdrive mode may damage the enamel and makes teeth sensitive to heat and cold. A better way is to do it slowly.
Brushing immediately after each and every meal may not be the best way to protect your teeth either. The key word here is “immediately,” as in right after meals. It’s not good for the enamel because acidic drinks like pineapple juice softens the enamel right after meal. Wait up for a reasonable time for about half an hour and rinse your mouth to avoid exposing the enamel to abrasive action.
Medication, of course, helps in treating health issues. It may also cause dry mouth.
Many prescribed medications, such as antidepressants and pain relievers, have the side effect of reducing saliva flow. When it occurs, the likelihood is higher that tooth decay follows. The saliva is simply not there to “wash away” food debris and to protect teeth against acids.
Prevent dry mouth by sipping water whenever possible. Sugarless gum, xylitol mints, or sprays, gels, and tablets designed specifically for dry mouth — all help.
Yes, exercise is good. But it may create oral health issues as well.
Dry mouth may arise due to intense activity like exercise or sports. A study published in The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports showed intense physical activity, including exercise, cause saliva production to slow down among triathletes.
Some degree of protection may be necessary during intense activities. A mouthguard, rightly fitted by a dentist, protects the teeth. Such protection is important when the mouth impacts during physical contact with an object or another person.
It is common for dentists to see chipped teeth or even a tooth or two knocked out during contact sports. Investing on a mouthguard is important, in sports or in exercise to prevent seeking repair from a dentist that could be costly in the long run.
A common sight nowadays are people putting lemon in drinking water. The belief is that it helps provide Vitamin C (true), helps digestion and strengthens the immune system (maybe) and rids the body of toxins (not sure).
So-called lemon water may do no harm per se, but the acidic juice it carries may erode the teeth enamel, especially when ingested for a long period. Warm water intensifies the damage, so cool it.
It makes good sense not to brush your teeth immediately after drinking lemon water and when you do, go a little lighter on the strokes so as not to damage the enamel. Temperatures intensify the tooth damage.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De La Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Member, American Academy of Implant Dentistry and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com./WDJ