Nail biting is a bad habit, and people do it for many reasons, including addiction, nerves, and boredom to name a few. Although it is considered unpleasant in general, it can also have serious consequences on oral health, but this is rarely addressed. Biting one’s fingernails can have an impact on both the upper and lower teeth, and even strong tooth enamel is not immune to the constant pressure from nail-biting. Teeth can eventually become chipped or fractured from this habit.
The habit is also unsanitary because there are so many germs that exist on your hands and under fingernails, so there is a high probability of developing an illness from continually having your fingers in your mouth.
Here are some suggestions from your Wilmington dentist to help break this habit.
#1—Try a Manicure
It might sound simplistic, but this can work wonders for adults who are still biting their nails. Often people are self-conscious about the appearance of their hands and nails when they are biting their nails and cuticles, so suddenly having attractive hands is enough to help them break the nail-biting habit.
#2—Try a Mouthguard
For patients who simply cannot break this nasty habit, sometimes wearing a mouth guard is the one thing that enables them to stop the cycle. Wearing a mouthguard on either the upper or lower teeth not only protects the teeth against nail-biting but it makes it difficult to bite them at all.
#3—Try a Special Nail Polish
There are products available that you brush on the nails much like nail polish. The difference is that these products are foul-tasting, so the minute the wearer puts their hands in their mouth, they are reminded that they are trying to cease this habit.
Call our Wilmington Office for Your Next Teeth Cleaning
Don’t let biting your nails put your oral health at risk. If you are struggling, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Wilmington dentist Dr. Mark Gladnick. We want to help you protect your teeth so you can maintain a lifetime of good oral health.
