{"id":128,"date":"2023-09-07T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-07T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rsqdental.com\/blog\/?p=128"},"modified":"2023-12-13T07:00:38","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T07:00:38","slug":"whats-gnawing-nail-biting-and-oral-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rsqdental.com\/blog\/2023\/09\/07\/whats-gnawing-nail-biting-and-oral-health\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Gnawing? Nail Biting and Oral Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Life is stressful, and everyone has different ways of handling it. Finding a way to cope with anxiety is an important part of getting through the day for anyone, but the fact is that some methods of handling stress are healthier<\/a> than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the grand scheme of things, nail biting isn\u2019t necessarily the worst thing you can do for your anxiety. However, there are certainly some ways that it can cause problems for you, and especially for your oral health, for example\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Can Nail Baiting Do to Your Oral Health?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nails are incredibly hard, so biting them off typically involves a lot of jaw pressure. It\u2019s also almost unavoidable that your teeth are going to clash together as you bite your nails. Combined, habitually biting your nails means that you\u2019re at risk of your teeth chipping or cracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may also surprise you to hear that nail biting can contribute to a general teeth-grinding habit, one that can carry over into your sleep. Teeth grinding erodes the enamel and can damage the teeth, so it\u2019s worth cutting off that habit before it starts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Problems with Nail Biting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Besides these detriments to your teeth, there are other health reasons why biting your nails is a bad idea. In general, the space underneath your nails is full of bacteria, which are transferred to the mouth when you bite them. From there they can enter your bloodstream and potentially get you sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Stop Biting Your Nails<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anything you do compulsively can be hard to stop, especially if it\u2019s a frequent coping mechanism for you. That said, there are proactive measures you can take that can make quitting easier:<\/p>\n\n\n\n