What oral fixations are damaging to teeth?

Many oral fixations  -- some of which we're not even conscious while we're doing them -- can affect your smile, in very bad ways.

Ask yourself. Do you ever...

…brush or floss too aggressively? If you brush your teeth as though you're trying to scrape their enamel off, you very well might. Likewise, aggressive flossing can do damage to the gum line

…chew the insides of your cheeks?  This habit not only causes soreness and those unattractive white spots (medical name: hyperkeratotic lesions), but holding your teeth and jaw in that position also traumatizes the joint as well.

…chew on ice?  Biting ice can cause fractures, crack teeth and break tooth edges. On top of that, artificial surfaces can't hold up against hard ice either, so this habit could destroy a pretty hefty dental investment of bonding and veneers.

...bite your nails? Nail biting can chip and crack the edges of teeth, particularly the thin edges.

…chew on pencils and pens?  Even non-aggressive chewing on objects such as pens, pencils, eyeglasses, even hair clips or pins can crack and fracture tooth edges and break veneers and bonding.

…crack open nuts with your teeth?  Beware! This habit is even worse than chewing on pens and other objects!

…tear things open with your teeth?  This habit can crack the edges of your teeth.

…smoke? Stains! Gum soreness! Gum inflammation! Dry mouth! Damage to the tongue! Bad breath!  These are just some of the ways your mouth will suffer if you smoke.

…use toothpicks to clean out your teeth? While toothpicks, as well as other cleaning devices, can be effective in cleaning the sulcus area (those Vs between your teeth and gums), they can flatten out and/or push up the soft tissue above the teeth and encourage dark triangles to form. 

...grind them together? Clenching and grinding can cause a myriad of problems. Teeth can crack, veneers can pop off, and this overall wear and tear of teeth's edges --as well as their enamel --can cause major damage over time. After a few years of clenching or grinding, the teeth lose their edges as well as the loss of precision and proper function, causing greater forces to the teeth. If you notice the beginning of wear on your front teeth, have your dentist take a look at it before the problem becomes more serious.

I agree with previous two posts. I would like to add oral piercings, such as tongue barbells, lip rings, or any foreign objects attached to tongue, lips, cheeks, etc. 

Piercing the tongue has a long history in religious and performance practices. Meso-americans such as the Aztecs practiced this as well as other perforations as a part of offerings to their deities. Islamic Fakirs and Sufis from the Middle East, and Asian Spirit Mediums of the Far East practiced tongue piercing as an offering and proof of trance state. Permanent or long term piercing of the tongue is part of the resurgence of body piercing in contemporary society.

I know sometimes it is very difficult for a person to let go of these precious little things, but know it's a price you have to pay if something goes wrong, and they often do. They commonly break teeth or abrade the gums causing irreversible gum recession need surgery to correct it.

See you dentist for an evaluation of your oral piercings if you have any.