These common summer activities (or party tricks) can end up wearing down your smile, and your oral health.

Try to brush away the following summer smile breakers:

Working the Rides at the Town Fair or Carnival

Nothing beats working at your local carnival or fair in the summertime. You get to be outside while enjoying the sights, sounds, fun, and especially the food everyday. However, the dentist might not approve of how those sweet treats may damage your teeth! Although there are temptations like excessively sugary cotton candy and funnel cake, look for delicious alternatives such as corn on the cob or roasted peanuts. Sugar feeds the bacteria that live on our teeth, and those bacteria excrete acid that creates cavities. If you eat sugary food all day, the bacteria on your teeth will constantly be in cavity-formation mode!

Managing the Register at a Fast Food Restaurant

Working these positions may lure you into an unhealthy diet. Fast food has extremely high amounts of salt and sugar ,which increases the risk of developing cavities and gum disease. To avoid munching on fast food throughout the day, try eating a nutritious meal with protein and leafy greens before work. Pack a sack lunch to get you through the day later on, too. Plus, you’ll end up saving that hard-earned cash!

Using your chompers as a bottle opener

Nothing says “Summer time” quite like the crisp sound of cracking open a favorite beverage with your friends! While your buddies may think it’s a cool party trick when you pop open a bottle with your teeth, your dentist will think otherwise. Biting down on a hard, foreign object can actually crack your tooth or cut your gums. Don’t risk damaging the protective enamel, or even a whole tooth.

Acting Like an Ice Machine

Is there anything more refreshing than an ice-cold drink to counter the summer heat? When your drink is finished, though avoid the temptation to chomp on the remaining ice. That repetitive crunching motion can create microscopic fractures in your teeth and grind down your enamel, making your teeth susceptible to decay.

An Excuse for Scissors

We get that you can’t wait to open the new package you got in the mail, but this is a job for fingers or scissors, not your teeth. Consistent tearing and ripping can damage your enamel.

Remember, your teeth are good for eating, speaking, and smiling. They are never good substitutes for tools. Check out our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages to find out other tips for maintaining a healthy smile this summer!