What’s Gnawing? Nail Biting and Oral Health

Life is stressful, and everyone has different ways of handling it. Finding a way to cope with anxiety is an important part of getting through the day for anyone, but the fact is that some methods of handling stress are healthier than others.

In the grand scheme of things, nail biting isn’t necessarily the worst thing you can do for your anxiety. However, there are certainly some ways that it can cause problems for you, and especially for your oral health, for example…

What Can Nail Baiting Do to Your Oral Health?

Nails are incredibly hard, so biting them off typically involves a lot of jaw pressure. It’s also almost unavoidable that your teeth are going to clash together as you bite your nails. Combined, habitually biting your nails means that you’re at risk of your teeth chipping or cracking.

It may also surprise you to hear that nail biting can contribute to a general teeth-grinding habit, one that can carry over into your sleep. Teeth grinding erodes the enamel and can damage the teeth, so it’s worth cutting off that habit before it starts.

Other Problems with Nail Biting

Besides these detriments to your teeth, there are other health reasons why biting your nails is a bad idea. In general, the space underneath your nails is full of bacteria, which are transferred to the mouth when you bite them. From there they can enter your bloodstream and potentially get you sick.

How to Stop Biting Your Nails

Anything you do compulsively can be hard to stop, especially if it’s a frequent coping mechanism for you. That said, there are proactive measures you can take that can make quitting easier:

• Cut your nails shorter. That way, they’ll be much harder to chew.
• Find something else to occupy your hands or mouth. You might invest in a fidget toy, or take to chewing sugar-free xylitol gum.
• Look into nail coatings designed to stop nail biting. These have a bitter taste that can make your gnawing habit unappetizing.
• Get a nice manicure, one nice enough that you won’t want to mess it up.

About Our Practice

At Renaissance Dental, we understand that great oral health isn’t just about the teeth—it’s about living a lifestyle that keeps your smile strong and shining for as long as possible. We offer comprehensive, high-quality dentistry to address just about any problem that you could have and do so for patients of all ages. No problem is too strange or unique for us to deal with, so we’ll help you no matter what issue could be bothering you.

If you have any questions about nail biting, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (817) 289-5200.