Dr. Cindy Flanagan

Gnawing on your nails can chip off the edges of your teeth. Your dentist can repair the damage with bonding material. But in my experience, the repairs won't last unless you nip your bad habit in the bud. I've had patients who got their teeth fixed only to come in with the same problem two weeks later. Kids with braces can even do more harm. Nail-biting adds to the pressure that the braces already put on teeth, increasing the risk that the roots will shorten -- weakening the teeth.

If protecting your smile isn't enough incentive, consider this:

Nail-biting promotes the spread of germs, causing you to get sick. It's easy to get bacteria and viruses stuck in your fingernails just from touching germy surfaces -- like the door handle of a public bathroom or even the counter at a coffee shop. When you put your nails in your mouth, those germs have easy access to your body.

To break the habit, try popping a piece of sugarless gum whenever you get the urge to start biting. Another idea: One former nail-biter I know started treating herself to weekly manicures. Paying to get her nails trimmed and polished motivated her not to mess them up.

 

Dr. Cindy Flanagan is a Houston-based doctor of dental surgery. She is also the spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry.

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Health - Biting Your Nails is Bad for Your Teeth