Many kids bite their fingernails when they are nervous or even just out of habit. The problem is that your nails are hard and so are your teeth. So, biting nails will soon wear your teeth down and eventually cause them to chip. Your nails will grow again, but tooth enamel will never grow back! So, biting finger nails can permanently damage your teeth. Not to mention the icky bacteria that grows under your nails (like E. Coli…. yuck!).
How do I get my child to stop biting their nail?
At Stellar Kids Dentistry, we have many strategies to help kids stop this habit. Trimming nails short every week and helping identify triggers are big helps. But, probably the most effective way we have found is a one on one chat between our doctors and your child. Once kids are more aware of their nail biting and its consequences, they often stop on their own!
Give us a call and we would love to chat! – Paul Kahlon, DMD
