Can Nail Biting Damage My Braces?

Nail biting is damaging to your mouth and teeth in a lot of different ways, but biting your nails during orthodontic treatment can cause a whole new set of problems. Many people bite their nails as a nervous habit, brought on by stress, boredom, or other emotions. In fact, it’s been found that around 30% of kids and 15% of adults are nail biters!

Below are a few of the damaging effects that nail biting can have on your orthodontic treatment:

• Biting your nails can wear down your teeth. If you currently have braces or have had braces in the past, you’re risking causing your teeth to become crooked again.
• If you bite your nails, you can actually delay your orthodontic treatment, meaning you’d need to wear your braces for a longer time than you would if you didn’t bite your nails. This is because of the pressure that nail biting puts on your teeth and their roots.
• The damage that you do to your teeth by biting your nails can cost you! In fact, the Academy of General Dentistry has estimated that you can spend as much as $4,000 in dental bills over your lifetime as a direct result of your nail biting habit.
• Lastly, even though it’s not related to your teeth, nail biting is incredibly unsanitary. Nails are almost twice as dirty as your hands, and they harbor all sorts of germs and bacteria.

The best thing you can do for your oral health and your overall health is to kick the habit now! Below are a few tips on how this can be done:

• Trim your nails short. This way, there won’t be any nail left to bite!
• Paint your nails. Nail polish tastes bitter and you’ll be less likely to bite.
• Wear a mouth guard, which will prevent you from being able to bite your nails.
• Understand and avoid your nail biting triggers.

For more information on staying healthy during your orthodontic treatment, please contact Lockett Orthodontics, located in Colorado Springs, CO!