According to The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists (AACD), each year Americans spend a whopping $2.75 billion on cosmetic dentistry procedures, such as teeth whitening, veneers, crowns and implants. In fact, people are so concerned about how their smile looks, their efforts don't end at the dentist's office. Smile conscious people also spend countless dollars on over-the-counter whitening products in an effort to look their best.

If you want the whitest, brightest smile possible, you might be thinking about trying a new product or giving cosmetic dentistry a go. While both of these are great options, they won't help much if you have habits that are harmful to your teeth. Following are common habits that you should break before getting cosmetic dentistry performed. 

Getting Mouth and Facial Piercings

If you love piercings, keep them away from your mouth. Piercings located on the tongue, lips, and cheeks can cause a great deal of damage to your teeth and gums. You see, mouth jewelry often rubs against teeth, resulting in scratches, cracks, and enamel damage. Jewelry can also damage fillings, implants, and veneers.

Snacking on Sugary Foods and Drinking Soda

Since it is extremely acidic, soda is especially hard on your teeth enamel. This is especially true if you sip soda throughout the day, which essentially prolongs your teeth's exposure to the acid. Acid can lead to dental issues, such as loss of enamel, gum decay, tooth decay and gum disease. Sugary foods also damage your teeth by creating an environment in which bacteria thrive.

Opening Packages with Your Teeth

If you commonly use your teeth as tools, stop. Ripping open packages with your teeth, biting down on plastic, and chewing on packaging materials can cause massive amounts of damage to your teeth and dental work. Cracked and chipped teeth, broken crowns, loose fillings, and loose teeth are common issues caused by this habit. 

Grinding Your Teeth

Grinding your teeth and constantly clenching your jaw can wear down your natural teeth and cause a great deal of damage to dental implants, veneers, and fillings. Therefore, you must avoid it at all costs. If you can't stop grinding your teeth at night, use a mouth guard to protect your teeth and dental work. 

If you want your teeth to look their best, you need to kick any bad habits you have before getting cosmetic dentistry. If you continue bad habits after certain procedures, you could cause damage to your dental work. Talk to a dentist like Van De Walle Tom DDS for more information.