Tongue Piercings:
Depending on who you are, you may or may not think that tongue rings are cool and trendy. If you’re in the “think they are trendy and cool” category and have considered or have a tongue piercing, you need to consider the damage that can be done inside your mouth. There are a couple of concerns here. Biting down on metal can potentially crack a tooth (lip piercings applied here too). Also, when metal rubs against gums, it can cause damage that eventually could lead to losing a tooth. Finally, because your mouth holds a lot of bacteria, piercings raise the risk of infections and sores.
Cough Drops:
Yes, cough drops are found in the medicine aisle, however, this does not mean that they are good for you. Most of them have a lot of sugar, so after using them consider brushing sooner than later. They are not really candy but for your teeth they have the same effect.
Gummy Candy:
Speaking of candy, we know sugary candy isn’t the best for our health including the health of our teeth, but gummy candy is particularly bad for our teeth. They can get stuck in your teeth keeping the sugar in contact with your enamel for hours.
Soda Pop:
Yes, soda has sugar, but soda also contains phosphoric and citric acids, which can eat away at your tooth’s enamel. Keep in mind that you’re not off the hook with diet soda; it doesn’t contain sugar but may contain even more acid due to artificial sweeteners.
Habitual Snacking:
Snacking does not produce the same amount of saliva as a meal does. This means that bits of food are on your teeth much longer. If you are a snacker your best bet is to stick to low sugar and low starch foods.