Why Biting Your Nails is Bad for Your Teeth

Biting your nails can be a hard habit to break. Sometimes we grow out of this, but for those of you still biting – it can lead to some trouble.

Chewing on your nails can take a toll on your teeth. Sometimes if you bite through a nail hard enough, your teeth can hit together and you can end up chipping a tooth!

Other negative effects, although rare, can also occur from biting your nails. One of the negative effects from biting your nails is that it can cause a gap between your two front teeth. If nail biting starts at a young age when teeth are developing, it can impact the way that they come in. This can also potentially require orthodontic treatment.

Biting your nails has also been reported to potentially cause gingivitis. Your nails are full of bacteria and putting them in your mouth puts you at risk! You are contaminating your mouth every time! Just knowing the facts and how damaging nail biting can be should help you act and lock that habit for good!

– Dr. Azim Parekh, Dr. Parekh and Associates