Nail-biting—it’s a nervous practice that’s highly common—and highly detrimental to one’s teeth. Often, nail-biting begins in childhood and hangs around as a hard-to-kick habit. And it’s one you may not even realise you’re doing.
Over time, nail-biting may cause teeth to chip, crack or deteriorate. Nail-biting also may increase one’s risk for bruxism, or teeth grinding.
Here are some steps you can take to quit nail-biting:
• Keep your nails trimmed short—shorter nails will be harder to bite
• Give your hands something to do—knitting anyone?
• Keep your mouth occupied—drink water, snack healthily or suck on sugarless mints
• Coat your nails with a bitter-tasting polish—one bad-tasting nibble may deter you for good
• Treat your nails to a manicure—you may be less inclined to bite on nails that look great
Keeping your teeth looking healthy with regular check-ups also may help you quit!
