Helping Your Kids Avoid Bad Biting Habits

Even during the development of baby teeth, kids can already start to exhibit bad biting habits. These habits generally start in childhood but may persist into adulthood, meaning that childhood habits will damage long-term dental health.

Common Damaging Biting Habits

Below are a few of the most common bad biting habits that children develop:

• Biting Clothes – Biting the neck fabric and sleeves of clothing is a common problem in childhood but should stop after a few years. If you notice your child biting his or her shirts, try to direct their attention to something else. Distraction is a great way to more easily break childhood habits.
• Chewing Pens/Pencils – During school, a nervous chewing habit may be focused on pencils or pens. There are products that have been designed to go on the end of pencils for kids to chew. This is better for their teeth than the pencil but shouldn’t be considered a long-term solution.
• Nail-Biting – Not only is nail-biting unsanitary, but it can also be dangerous for your child’s teeth. Kids with nail-biting habits can crack their teeth, creating fractures in or chipping the teeth. This habit can be an indicator of stress in children, so make sure to keep a close eye on what could be causing your child any anxiety.

Bad habits that develop in childhood can be tough to break in adulthood. If you notice your child exhibiting any of the above behaviors, it’s important to work on addressing them early. Many biting problems are due to stress or anxiety, so talk to your child about what may be causing them to worry.

If you believe your child may need dental braces, or if it’s time for an orthodontic evaluation, please contact Lockett Orthodontics at our Colorado Springs, CO orthodontic office today.