5 jobs that are bad for your teeth

Tooth decay, periodontal disease, cracks and worn teeth are all dental diseases that occur very gradually, from our daily activities and habits. And what is a large influence on how we spend our days? What we do to make a living. A full time worker in Australia spends a third of their week at work and the near daily frequency of this compounds the detrimental effects.

Chef/cook

When I was in high school, I wanted to become a chef as a career. I even applied to do work experience at a handful of local restaurants but nothing ever came from it. I still do enjoy cooking and cook for my family of 6 at home. My kids say they prefer eating my food than outside food sometimes. Sometimes.

This job is bad for teeth because of the high frequency in putting food in your mouth causes more tooth decay. Chefs will have a taste test of the food they’re cooking to ensure it is tasty. We are not designed to be eating frequently and as a side note, I think fasting has huge health & spiritual benefits.

The frequent food alters the oral environment and promotes the imbalance of beneficial bacteria to pathogenic bacteria. Food is also a source of nutrients for the acid producing bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) that causes tooth decay. Tasty food is also generally acidic and the acidic environment promotes acid producing bacteria. (Acidic bacteria obviously need to survive in an acidic environment).

Tradesperson

There is a more prevalent culture of smoking and improper diet among tradespeople. Smoking increases the risk and severity of periodontal disease and tooth decay. It causes the blood vessels to shrink and dries the mouth. And if you read the cigarette packaging, you would see that they also cause oral cancers. Working in tough environments also requires more frequent water consumption and if you only drink water, that is not an issue. But there is a thought that energy drinks, soft drinks and sports drinks are of more benefit for strenuous activities. These drinks contain a lot of sugar and highly acidic.

Some people may also use their teeth to hold objects like nails and doing so regularly will cause wear marks on the teeth.

Athletes

Athletes, whether professional or for leisure, are at higher risk of dental trauma. Some are obviously high risk, eg. boxing. Basketball, a very popular sport, is prone to dental trauma, usually from getting elbowed.

Boring Desk Jobs

Well, even a desk job that isn’t boring is at risk. But a boring one especially! If you are bored, you will want to stimulate yourself through snacking. It is very similar to the chef, where high frequency of eating is bad for your oral health. This would be worse if you snack on junk food. At least the chef is not (hopefully) cooking junk food. I often find when I am doing admin work, I get distracted by thinking whether I am hungry or thirsty. I associate working on the computer with having a drink on the side.

Dentists

Dentists apparently grind their teeth more than most people. It is actually true that dentists have a higher rate of depression and other mental health issues. Thankfully, I do not.

This one I write with tongue in cheek, but it applies to any job that you are stressed about. The stress and negative emotions of your daily life will increase the grinding and clenching of your teeth, causing excessive wear and cracks of your teeth. I see people with cracked teeth often and often require a crown and even a root canal.