Ever wake up with headaches or a pain in front of your ear? That could be a sign that you're a tooth grinder or clencher. Waking up with your teeth in a clenched position is another telltale sign.

"The muscles that we chew with connect with muscles that go to the temple or forehead, which is why sometimes grinders wake up with headaches," says Lituchy. Likewise, too much pressure from constant grinding can strain face muscles, especially those by the temporomandibular joint, which is located in front of the ear.

All that gnashing of the teeth while you slumber can lead to significant enamel erosion, but getting a mouth guard from a dentist can protect pearly whites from your nocturnal activities. That way, you can leave the grinding to, ahem, other bedroom activities.

Prepare to do a spit-take with your mouthwash. Most of us think of mouth rinse as a potent germ-killer, but some variations can actually create bacteria-friendly environments.

"If you happen to use an alcohol-based mouth rinse, the alcohol in it can dry out the mouth -- and bacteria thrive in dry environments," says Lituchy. (It's the reason morning breath is a thing; our salivary production slows down at night, which contributes to dry mouth and the multiplication of bacteria.)

Still, Lituchy always recommends using an anti-bacterial rinse and says alcohol-based ones are some of the most effective. To counter the drying effects, he advises rinsing with water immediately after. (If you've ever chugged a bottle of water after a night of cocktail-drinking, then this hydrating solution should make total sense to you.)

And in case you're wondering, yes, alcoholic drinks have the same drying effect as mouthwash but that doesn't mean you have to put your wine glass down just yet. Lituchy says you can counteract the dryness by swishing water around your mouth. (Likewise, if you're swigging sugar-heavy energy drinks following a workout -- when your mouth is dry from panting -- make sure to follow up by rinsing with water.) And even with wine's drying nature and high acidity, Lituchy says the health benefits of drinking it are more well documented than its adverse effect on teeth.

If you find yourself out unable to brush or floss, try reaching for sugar-free gum.

"Chewing sugarless gum is good because the mechanical action of chewing gum can remove plaque from the surfaces of the teeth," says Lituchy. But make sure not to overdo it: Too much chewing, Lituchy warns, can aggravate the muscles by your temporomandibular joint.

But how much is too much? "The recommended time varies from person to person," says Lituchy. "If you are noticing any soreness at all in the muscles or joint area, then you are chewing too much. Everyone's threshold is different."

Also make sure that you're not making the mistake of popping a piece of sugar-packed gum, since bacteria will convert that sugar into tooth-eroding acids. Go ahead and chew that over (sorry, we had to).

Your fruit smoothies are chock-full of vitamins -- as well as sugar and acid. When you combine multiple fruits into a single drink, you get way more sugar than you would if you were to eat fruit individually.

"Juices can have more sugar than soda," says Lituchy. "Bacteria convert the sugar to acid, which can wear down the enamel and cause cavities." That's not-so-sweet news for folks who coat their teeth with sugar-heavy smoothies on a daily basis.

To lessen the damage, Lituchy suggests drinking smoothies through straws, which help funnel sugars away from the surface of the teeth, and consuming them quickly so that you're not continually bathing teeth in sugar. He also advises diluting juices by adding water.

And because the acid in fruit can cause a temporary softening of the enamel, Lituchy says you should wait 45 minutes after consuming your smoothie to brush your teeth. Otherwise, you risk damaging the enamel while it's in a vulnerable state.

This rule holds true when you consume other things that are high in acidity (think lemons and limes) or that are high in sugar, like soda.

You wouldn't chew on a rock, right? So, why chew on something that's almost as hard as one? Breaking down a cube of ice requires a lot of pressure, which can wear down enamel and even cause it to chip. Not so cool, right?