#4- Grinding and clenching at night- Grinding and/or clenching is a common finding in many adult patients.  Often these actions are increased during times of anxiety or stress.  Over time, this can lead to chipping, cracking, and wear of your teeth.  Solution: Ask your dentist if they notice any evidence of a clenching or grinding.  If they do, a “night guard,” which is a thin piece of custom fit acrylic, may be a great option to help protect your teeth. #3- Opening beer bottles with your teeth- No dentist wants to get a phone call at 11PM from a patient who broke their tooth in half while trying to open a beer bottle.  You don’t want to have to make that call either 🙂  The bottle opener was invented for a reason. #2- “Flossing my own way”- While dentists understand that people are creative and like to be unique, flossing is a time to conform what is proven to work.  “I floss every day” only is helpful when you are effectively cleaning in between your teeth.  Creating a “C” shape with the floss in each area and then moving in an up and down motion 5 times is the most effective method of flossing.  Your hygienist will be happy to work with you to maximize your flossing efficiency. #1- “My teeth aren’t hurting me, so I don’t need to see the dentist.” – This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Most tooth decay causes no sensitivity until it is very large.  By the time someone could “feel” that they had a cavity, the cavity is likely already very extensive and may be affecting the health of the nerve.  Regular checkups every 6 month can help detect tooth decay in its early stages.  This can lead to more conservative treatment and preserving the maximum amount of healthy tooth structure.        ]]>