6 Bad Dental Habits to Avoid and Tips to Improve Oral Hygiene

Did you know that only 16% of people floss their teeth daily and 91% of adults ages 20 to 64 experience some form of tooth decay? Worse yet, 90% of systemic diseases can manifest themselves in your mouth due to poor dental hygiene.¹

Not only are good dental habits and healthy lifestyle choices a good way to keep your teeth healthy — they can impact your pocketbook, too. That's because when your teeth are in good shape, your dental expenses will be kept to a minimum, but when they aren't, those dental expenses can add up.

Here, we look at ways to keep your smile bright and save money by swapping out bad dental habits with good ones.

Why Is Good Dental Health Important?

Taking care of your oral hygiene is important to keep your mouth, mind and body healthy. That means brushing and flossing daily while also getting twice-yearly exams and cleanings with your dentist.

Without good oral hygiene, you can open yourself up to a variety of dental problems, including:²

• Cavities
• Gum disease
• Receding gums
• Bad breath
• Discoloration of the teeth
• Tooth loss
• Oral cancer³
• Heart infections (endocarditis)
• Pneumonia
• Cardiovascular disease
• Pregnancy complications

Bad dental habits can affect your overall health

Bad dental habits can lead to the buildup of plaque and tartar, which in turn cause enamel erosion, cavities, gum disease, tooth loss and even systemic infections that affect your internal organs.²

It's also important to remember that neglecting your dental health means dealing with having dirty teeth and bad breath, which may affect your confidence and even your ability to smile. This can lead to a variety of mental health issues like depression and anxiety.⁴

Fortunately, it's easy to replace bad dental habits — like not brushing or flossing daily — with good ones when you establish a regular routine and make good dental habits part of your day.

6 Bad Dental Habits to Avoid

Bad dental habits are harmful to your teeth, and, worse yet, poor dental health can lead to systemic issues and even affect your mental well-being. Avoid those issues and keep your pearly whites looking their best by steering clear of these detrimental (and potentially expensive) dental habits.

1. Grinding your teeth

Stress, poor sleeping habits and misaligned or missing teeth are common causes of teeth grinding, also known as bruxism. Grinding or clenching teeth can wear them down, chip tooth enamel, lead to loose teeth and cause jaw pain, including temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.⁵

The cost of bruxism can be pretty steep, depending on the severity, but some possible effects of tooth grinding include:

• Dental bonding to repair chipped teeth, which ranges in cost from $220 to $420 per tooth⁶
• Dental veneers to fix chipped or damaged teeth due to grinding, which cost around $1,000 to $2,000 per tooth⁷
• Treatments for TMJ can range anywhere from $300 all the way up to $50,000 or more, depending on whether or not you need surgery.⁸

3. Brushing your teeth too hard

Using bristles that are too firm or brushing aggressively can damage teeth, cause tooth sensitivity and irritate your gums. Worse yet, it can wear away your tooth enamel and cause gum recession.¹¹

To deal with gum recession, you may need gum grafting surgery, which can cost between $2,700 and $6,500. This pricey surgery can help prevent tooth loss and alleviate the sensitivity caused by gum recession.¹²

That hard brushing can even wear your toothbrushes out — which means you'll be spending anywhere from $5 per manual brush to $10 per electric brush head to replace damaged brushes more often than usual.¹³

4. Not flossing daily

Flossing your teeth helps remove plaque and food particles between your teeth in areas that your toothbrush can't reach. This can lead to cavities and the formation of tartar along your gumline, causing gum disease and periodontitis over time.¹⁴

Treating cavities and gum disease isn't cheap. Expect to pay:

• Anywhere from around $200 to $600 per dental filling to repair a cavity. Some may even cost as much as $4,000.¹⁵
• Between $4,000 and $6,000 for full-mouth periodontal treatments. These treatments may include disinfection of the gums and pocket depth reduction surgery. Note that in some instances, costs can range up to $10,000, depending on the extent of the gum issues you're dealing with.¹⁶

5. Smoking and using tobacco products

Smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes or using any type of smokeless tobacco products such as chewing tobacco and snuff can cause tooth loss, stained teeth, gum disease and oral cancer. In fact, 90% of those who develop oral cancer use tobacco products.³

Tobacco use can lead to a plethora of costs related to your dental care, including:

• Treating gum disease, which runs between $4,000 and $6,000 for full-mouth periodontal treatments and may include gum disinfection and pocket depth reduction surgery. Costs can range up to $10,000, depending on the extent of the gum issues you're dealing with.¹⁶
• Tooth whitening costs, which run around $292.93 per arch, or $585.86 for your whole mouth when it comes to in-office whitening treatments¹⁷
• The expense of dealing with tooth loss. Expect to pay between $3,000 and $4,500 per dental implant to replace lost teeth,¹⁸ or between $650 and $2,500 for upper or lower dentures.¹⁹ Another option is a dental bridge, which runs between $1,500 and $6,500.¹⁹
• Treatment costs for oral cancer. Depending on the seriousness of your oral cancer, treatments can range from surgery to chemotherapy and/or radiation. Costs can vary, averaging around $7,450.²⁰ Even with health insurance, you'll likely be responsible for some of the cost of your care, which averages between $180 and $2,600 per month during the course of your treatment.²¹

6. Consuming sugary and acidic drinks and foods

Sugary treats promote tooth decay, and chewy candies like gummies are harder to wash away, so they can stick around in your teeth for hours, increasing cavity risk.²² Similar to sweet treats, sweetened beverages — like soda, juice and sports drinks — are loaded with sugar. They may also contain acid that can damage your tooth enamel.²³

That means you could be dealing with the cost of treating cavities and tooth decay.²⁴ These costs include:

• Around $200 to $600 per filling to repair a cavity. Some may even cost as much as $4,000.¹⁵
• A root canal to repair a severely decayed and infected tooth, which can cost between $1,500 to $2,000¹⁰
• A dental crown to repair a decayed tooth, which can cost between $500 and $3,000¹⁰

6 Tooth-Healthy Habits to Adopt

1. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush

Gently massage your teeth and gums with a soft-bristled toothbrush that carries the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance. Always remember to brush twice daily.

• Replace your brush every three months. Expect to pay around $5 for a manual toothbrush and $10 for an electric toothbrush head.¹³
• Electric toothbrushes are a bit of an investment upfront, ranging in price from $15 to $200, but help remove plaque more efficiently than traditional brushes.¹³ Some models also alert you if you're brushing too hard.²⁵
• Most importantly, use toothpaste with whichever toothbrush you choose, which will cost around $1 to $5 per 4- to 6-ounce tube.²⁶

2. Floss your teeth daily

Floss your teeth at least once per day after you brush, or use interdental picks and brushes to remove food and plaque between your teeth to prevent dental decay and periodontal disease.¹⁴

The cost of floss and dental picks is small compared to paying for fillings and pricey gum treatments. Expect to pay:

• Around $1 to $3 per roll of dental floss²⁷
• Between $4 and $8 for a pack of six to 30 interdental brushes²⁸
• Around $20 for a pack of 320 dental picks²⁸

Don't like flossing? Try a water flosser, which ranges in price between $38 and $100, depending on the model.²⁹

3. Use mouthwash and fluoride treatments

Mouthwash helps kill off cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth and is an important part of a good dental routine.

• Not only will mouthwash freshen your breath, but it can also keep your gums healthy, help with issues like dry mouth and even whiten your teeth.
• Mouthwash averages between $4 and $20 for anywhere from 13 to 33 ounces, depending on the brand and benefits.³⁰

Fluoride treatments help strengthen the enamel of your teeth and prevent sensitivity.

• A professional fluoride treatment with your dentist will cost between $20 and $50.³¹
• You can also use fluoride rinses or gels at home, which average between $5 and $20.³¹

4. Avoid sugary and acidic foods

As part of eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, choose healthier foods and drinks.

• While sugary snacks may taste good, they will harm your teeth and your overall health in the long run.
• On average, expect to pay around $1.50 more per day for healthier meal and snack choices, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and healthy proteins.³²
• When it comes to choosing a beverage, water is an easy and economical choice that won't stain your teeth and will keep you hydrated.
• Not only is water tooth-friendly because it helps wash away food particles, it's also budget-friendly, costing around $1.23 per gallon wholesale.³³

5. Quit smoking and stop using tobacco products

Not only will tobacco products cause a multitude of dental problems, including oral cancer, they can also shorten your lifespan and their cost can be hard on your pocketbook, too. Quitting smoking is hard, but with the help of nicotine replacement therapy or a smoking cessation program, you are more likely to succeed.³⁴

Costs involved with nicotine replacement products include:³⁵

• Nicotine gum and lozenges average around $12 to $13 for a 20-piece package.
• Nicotine patches average between $15 and $24 for a seven-day supply.

Smoking cessation programs, including Nicotine Anonymous and Freedom from Smoking® from the American Lung Association, are generally offered at little to no cost or rely solely on donations.³⁴

Each program offers both online and in-person resources that help users quit through the support of other members. The Freedom from Smoking® Plus program offers a 12-month membership for $99.95, which provides online support via chat, email, phone and online resources.³⁶

6. Wear a mouth guard

For those with bruxism, wearing a mouth guard at night can protect your teeth and reduce mouth pain.

• A customized mouth guard made by your dentist will cost anywhere from $300 to $800, but you can also buy an over-the-counter mouth guard for between $15 and $30.³⁷
• Depending on the cause of your teeth grinding, you may also want to practice relaxation and sound-sleep techniques, many of which are available through apps on your phone.
• For those who play sports, you'll want to wear a protective mouth guard to prevent any accidental injuries during games.

Tips for Making the Swap Easier

Switching over to healthier dental habits can be hard at first, but with some time and using these tips, it will become easier to take good care of your pearly whites.

Ease into better habits

As you start taking better care of your teeth, note that you don't have to do everything at once. Slowly ease your way into your new habits by starting with simple tasks like brushing your teeth twice daily, and then adding in steps like flossing and rinsing with mouthwash before tackling the big tasks like quitting smoking.

Establish a routine with reminders

A great way to start your dental-savvy journey is to establish a routine that's easy for you to follow. When you wake up, brush your teeth as part of your morning routine, and when you go to sleep, do the same as part of your before-bedtime routine. Remember to make time for flossing and using mouthwash.

To prevent yourself from forgetting, set reminders on your phone. And if a smoking cessation program is a new part of your routine, set reminders for that as well. After a while, these healthy habits will become easy to follow because you'll be used to doing them.

Make it easy to follow your routine

A key part of keeping your teeth clean is making it easy (and fun!) to do so:

• Place small travel-sized dental floss containers around your home so you'll always have one you can reach for.
• Switch to a more palate-pleasing toothpaste flavor if you aren't a fan of standard mint. Many brands have other flavors available for you to try out.
• Keep a toothbrush and toothpaste in your shower so you can brush your teeth while you are getting ready in the morning.
• Place some toothpaste and a toothbrush by your kitchen sink so you remember to brush your teeth after meals when you're washing your dishes.
• Switch to an electric toothbrush that alerts you if you are brushing too hard to prevent yourself from scrubbing your teeth vigorously. These are also a great option for those with arthritis.³⁸
• Use a water flosser if you don't like using dental floss. These devices shoot a powerful spray of water between your teeth to dislodge plaque and food particles.³⁸

Keep healthy snacks and beverages around

The easiest way to eat healthier is to eliminate any sugary and processed snacks and drinks from your home altogether and replace them with better choices.

• Keep bottled water around to quench your thirst or opt for a sugar-free drink.
• Meal prep things like vegetables, fruits, nuts and cheese in snack containers so you have them handy to munch on rather than reaching for sugary snacks.
• Chew sugar-free gum if you are looking for something sweet to eat.

Find an accountability partner

If you're having trouble following your new dental routine, ask a friend, relative, roommate or romantic partner to gently remind you when it's time to brush your teeth, go to the dentist or have a glass of water instead of a sugary soda. This makes you more apt to follow your new dental routine because you'll be accountable to someone else who cares about you.

Get professional dental help

Even if you don't have any issues with your new healthy dental habits, you'll need to see your dentist at least twice per year for professional cleanings and exams. During these exams, your dentist can give you additional tips on how to maintain a healthy smile.