1. Chewing on ice, not only can this chip or crack teeth but it can also irritate the soft tissues inside the teeth leading to regular tooth aches.
2. Playing Sports with no mouth guard, playing any contact such as Rugby, Football, Boxing and Hockey without a mouth guard can be disastrous chipped teeth and even teeth being knocked out are often seen due to mouth guards not being worn. Custom made guards offer the best protection and can be made by your dentist.
3. Bedtime Bottles, it is best to avoid a baby getting used to falling asleep with a bottle as bathing the teeth overnight in sugars leads to tooth decay very quickly.
4. Tongue/ Lip Piercings, can cause recession of the gums and damage to teeth, they can often be a haven for bacteria that leads to infection.
5. Grinding, Often caused by stress grinding can cause tooth wear and headaches, wearing a night-guard will protect the teeth during grinding and can sometimes stop the habit altogether. Night-guards can be made by your dentist.
6. Opening and Tearing Stuff with your teeth, bottlecaps, plastic packaging and cellotape are all a common cause of chipped teeth and can be avoided by breaking this habit.
7. Sports/Energy Drinks, Very high in sugar and one of the biggest causes of tooth decay in teenagers today. Swap energy/sports drinks for diluted juice or water to avoid decay and erosion.
8. Chewing on pens, Another common cause of chipped teeth and tooth wear over time.
9. Smoking, Not only bad for overall health and a cause of oral cancer, smoking leads to stained teeth, gum recession, loosening of teeth and eventually tooth loss.
10. Wine, Red wine can stain teeth and White wine is very acidic and can lead to erosion.