Have you noticed that your teeth are more brittle than they used to be? The more brittle teeth become, the higher the risk of breakage. A common cause of brittle teeth is aging. As you age, the nerves of your teeth shrink, which provides your teeth with less nourishment. As a result, they weaken. But bad oral habits can also cause your teeth to become more brittle than before.

If your teeth seem to be more brittle than before, one or more of the following bad habits could be to blame.

1. Gritting your teeth while exercising

When some people lift heavy weights, they tend to grit their teeth as they do so. But gritting your teeth while lifting weights doesn't help to ease the load. Instead, it wears away your tooth enamel, weakening it and making it more susceptible to breaking. As a result, you might begin to notice that your teeth break while eating hard foods like nuts and candy.

2. Grinding your teeth at night

Not all nocturnal grinders know that they grind their teeth while asleep. But if you sometimes wake up with a headache and an aching jaw, this is a sure sign that you grind your teeth at night. Just as gritting your teeth during exercise weakens your teeth by wearing away the enamel, so too does nocturnal grinding.

In fact, because you are asleep, you have no control over the force you exert while grinding your teeth. This makes nocturnal grinding even worse for your teeth than gritting.

3. Brushing your teeth too forcibly

If you brush your teeth too forcibly, you will wear away the enamel. The effect is gradual but telling. Eventually, over years and years of hard brushing, your teeth lose enough enamel to become brittle. Then they begin to chip and break.

4. Drinking alcohol regularly

Not many people know that alcohol is high in sugar. And the simple sugars in alcohol are easy for oral bacteria to break down. This is a problem because those bacterial organisms then cause tooth decay by excreting acids that strip away the enamel surface of your teeth. If you regularly enjoy alcohol, then this could be to blame for your brittle teeth.

These habits can cause your teeth to become brittle. If your teeth have become more brittle than they once were, see your dentist. They can help you determine the cause and suggest a suitable course of treatment.

For more information, contact a local dentist.

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