傷害牙齒的四種不良習慣
You brush twice a day and floss pretty regularly? Excellent! Both are key to keeping your pearly whites clean, strong and healthy.
你堅持每天刷牙兩次並用牙線定期清潔牙齒嗎？這個習慣非常好！堅持做下去，因爲這纔是保持牙齒像珍珠一樣潔白、堅硬和健康的關鍵。
But let's do a checkup on four bad habits that can undo all your good work:
我們看看這四種壞習慣吧，如果不及時改正，平時保護的牙齒所做的一切努力都是白費：
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.
迴避牙醫。至少20％的美國人有一個或多個未處理的蛀牙。蛀牙如被忽視，它可變大，更深並可導致嚴重的疼痛，感染，甚至牙齒脫落。不要等到痛了纔去看牙醫，安排一年一次或兩次的定期牙檢和洗牙。並確保告訴牙醫你的所服藥品：口乾 – 一種導致老年人蛀牙的常見原因 – 是500多種藥品的一種副作用，這些藥品是治療過敏，氣喘，血壓，膽固醇，疼痛和老年癡呆症的。爲了緩解口乾症狀，應多飲水或咀嚼無糖口香糖。
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.
飲用糖水。美國牙科協會表示，在蘇打水和甜性水果飲料裏滋生的你嘴裏的細菌可產生許多酸性物質，喝掉這類飲料後酸性物質會攻擊牙釉質長達20分鐘以上。反覆攻擊脆弱的牙釉質可導致蛀牙和牙齒敏感。研究還表明，酸度高的能量和運動飲料可以侵蝕牙釉質。最好的利於牙齒解決口渴的東西是水 - 最好是帶氟的。這種礦物質自然產生於所有水源裏，研究表明氟有助於防止蛀牙。你可在瓶裝水的標籤上看到氟的標記，如果你要使用自來水過濾器的話，請使用那種不會去氟的。
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.
使用舊牙刷。舊牙刷對刷牙來說已不再高效，並且刷毛可能會滋生細菌。每三至四個月更換你的牙刷，牙刷有磨損的話就早點換，如有傷風，感冒，口腔感染或咽喉腫痛的話也應立即更換牙刷。更多提示：選擇小頭軟毛牙刷可用於刷到不易刷到的區域，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.
咬開東西。你知道你這樣做過- 咬開一包薯片，一塊膠布，甚至新衣服的標籤。這不是一個好主意：你的牙齒可能會開裂，疼痛；如果開裂的牙神經受到破壞或感染，你可能需要進行牙根治療。
