Nail biting happens to be a common habit that affects people across all ages and gender. In fact, research reveals that 25 percent of the adults, over 40 percent of the teenagers and over 30 percent of the kids bite the nails.
Most doctors opine that nail biting stems from nervousness and stress. Apart from being a social embarrassment, nail biting can also harm the teeth and the other structures inside the mouth.
So in order to give you a better idea about the ill-effects of nail biting, here are some of the dire consequences that nail biting can make you face. Just read on.
#. Nail Biting Can Lead to Teeth Chipping:– This is the biggest reason to not bite the nails. Chewing on the hard fingernails can have adverse effects on the teeth. Sometime at the time of biting the nail your teeth can bite together quite hard which can chip the tooth. Repeated flexing of the enamel of the teeth occurs when the nails are bitten pretty hard causing the enamel to chip or fracture. This is one of the most common dental problems that arise from nail biting. The others (though rare) can also happen.
#. Biting Your Nails Can Cause a Diastama:– If the nail biting habit begins at the time when the kid is too young, it can create a gap between the teeth. Though this can happen, there is very less chance of this occurring unless someone is constantly shoving their nail between the teeth.
#. Nail Biting Can Enhance the Germs in the Mouth and Cause Bad Breath:– Fingernails can hold bacteria and germs almost twice as much as your hands. Nail biters have an enhanced chance of transferring more bacteria and germs inside the mouth. The part that is scarier is that, if the gnawed off nails are swallowed then all the dangerous stuff living under the nails enter the body and can lead to issues in the stomach. All the added bacteria in the mouth (because of nail biting) can lead to a stinky breath. No one likes having bad breath and this gives rise to many social issues.
#. Nail Biting Can Lead to Cold Sores and Warts:– The nail biters happen to be more susceptible to skin infection. People biting the nails tend to get human papillomavirus (HPV). This is a kind of herpes virus that can spread to the lips and the mouth area and can also lead to warts as well as cold sores.
#. Nail Biting Can Disfigure the Gums and Affect the Jaw:– Your nervous nail biting habit can take a toll on your smile. Apart from damaging the teeth, nail biting can eventually lead to gum recession and gum disease or periodontitis. The jagged and sharp edges of the fingernail can introduce the bacteria to the crevices of the teeth and can serve as the source of damaged, sore and infected gum tissues. Nail biting can be detrimental for the jaw, too. Constantly chewing the nails can give rise to TMJ Disorder. TMJ brings on its own set of problems like headaches and jaw pain and even popping or locking of the jaw.
The above are some of the reasons why nail biting is bad for your teeth and mouth. If you continue doing this even the best dental treatments and devices like braces that you can get at the best lingual braces cost in India cannot save your pearly whites and you won’t be able to flaunt a beautiful and healthy smile for long even after your best efforts.
