Four bad habits that can hurt your tooth

You brush twice a day and floss pretty regularly? Excellent! Both are key to keeping your pearly whites clean, strong and healthy.

你坚持每天刷牙两次并用牙线定期清洁牙齿吗？这个习惯非常好！坚持做下去，因为这才是保持牙齿像珍珠一样洁白、坚硬和健康的关键。

But let’s do a checkup on four bad habits that can undo all your good work:

我们看看这四种坏习惯吧，如果不及时改正，平时保护的牙齿所做的一切努力都是白费：

Ducking the dentist. At least 20% of Americans have one or more untreated cavities. Ignored, cavities can get larger, deeper and cause severe aches, infection or even tooth loss. Don’t wait for pain to see the dentist; schedule regular checkups and cleanings once or twice a year. And be sure to tell your dentist about medicines you take: Dry mouth — a common cause of cavities in older adults — is a side effect in about 500 drugs, including those for allergies, asthma, blood pressure, cholesterol, pain and Alzheimer’s disease. To relieve dry-mouth symptoms, drink more water or chew sugar-free gum.

回避牙医。至少20％的美国人有一个或多个未处理的蛀牙。蛀牙如被忽视，它可变大，更深并可导致严重的疼痛，感染，甚至牙齿脱落。不要等到痛了才去看牙医，安排一年一次或两次的定期牙检和洗牙。并确保告诉牙医你的所服药品：口干 – 一种导致老年人蛀牙的常见原因 – 是500多种药品的一种副作用，这些药品是治疗过敏，气喘，血压，胆固醇，疼痛和老年痴呆症的。为了缓解口干症状，应多饮水或咀嚼无糖口香糖。

Drinking sugar. Bacteria in your mouth that feed on the sugar in sodas and sweetened fruit drinks make acids that attack tooth enamel for up to 20 minutes after you’re done drinking, says the American Dental Association. Repeated attacks weaken enamel, leading to cavities and sensitive teeth. Research also suggests that the high acidity of energy and sports drinks can erode enamel. The best tooth-friendly thirst-quencher is water — preferably with fluoride. This mineral occurs naturally in all water sources, and research shows it helps prevent cavities. Check bottled water labels for fluoride; if you use a filter for tap water, get one that doesn’t remove fluoride.

饮用糖水。美国牙科协会表示，在苏打水和甜性水果饮料里滋生的你嘴里的细菌可产生许多酸性物质，喝掉这类饮料后酸性物质会攻击牙釉质长达20分钟以上。反复攻击脆弱的牙釉质可导致蛀牙和牙齿敏感。研究还表明，酸度高的能量和运动饮料可以侵蚀牙釉质。最好的利于牙齿解决口渴的东西是水 - 最好是带氟的。这种矿物质自然产生于所有水源里，研究表明氟有助于防止蛀牙。你可在瓶装水的标签上看到氟的标记，如果你要使用自来水过滤器的话，请使用那种不会去氟的。

Using old brushes. They’re less effective at cleaning; plus the bristles may breed bacteria. Replace your brush every three to four months, sooner if it’s frayed, and right after you’ve had a cold, flu, mouth infection or sore throat. More tips: Choose a soft-bristled brush with a small head to get at hard-to-reach spots; brush in circular motions with fluoride toothpaste.

使用旧牙刷。旧牙刷对刷牙来说已不再高效，并且刷毛可能会滋生细菌。每三至四个月更换你的牙刷，牙刷有磨损的话就早点换，如有伤风，感冒，口腔感染或咽喉肿痛的话也应立即更换牙刷。更多提示：选择小头软毛牙刷可用于刷到不易刷到的区域，使用含氟牙膏打圈刷牙。

Biting things open. You know you’ve done it — with a bag of chips, a piece of tape or even a price tag on new clothes. Not a good idea: Your tooth could crack, which hurts; if the nerve in a cracked tooth gets damaged or infected, you might need a root canal.

咬开东西。你知道你这样做过- 咬开一包薯片，一块胶布，甚至新衣服的标签。这不是一个好主意：你的牙齿可能会开裂，疼痛；如果开裂的牙神经受到破坏或感染，你可能需要进行牙根治疗。