We’ve all heard that biting your nails is an awful habit, but you many wonder- really- what’s so bad about it? Recently, our team at
Smile Solutions found an
interesting article that discusses how biting your nails affect your teeth and oral health.
Nail biting, also known as Onychophagia, is a common habit among various age groups, including primarily children, teens and young adults. Nail biting is generally triggered by stress and most often decreases with age. That being said, nail biting is unsanitary, unattractive, as well as unhealthy for your teeth!
Here’s why: • It’s unsanitary. Your nails are dirty, almost twice as dirty as your fingers! Hence, biting your nails is just asking for germs and bacteria.
• No good things come to your teeth. Nail biting causes your teeth to constantly be chewing, which is not good for them. This excessive motion wears your teeth down faster than a non-nail biter’s and puts a large amount of stress on your front teeth- contributing to teeth misalignment.
• Braces don’t love it either. Braces already put pressure on teeth, nail biting ads unnecessary pressure, further stressing your teeth and weakening their roots.
• It can be costly. Nail biting can result in up to $4,000 in additional dental bills over one lifetime, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Yikes!
What can you do about it?
Now that you know how harmful nail biting can be, it’s time to take action to break your nail biting habit. Try to be conscious of your fingernails and to keep them looking good- this will help you resist the temptation. Ask
Dr. Chung or visit the article for tips on how to break a nail biting habit.
Good luck!
Your friends at Smile Solutions
Dr. Christopher Chung and team understand not everyone enjoys visiting their orthodontist. But we strive to bring you the best and most comforting experience at each visit. We’d like to know: 
Each February for the past 61 years, the American Dental Association (ADA) has sponsored National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums. 
Braces at Smile Solutions are more fun than ever! With the Brace Painter, parents and children are able to “paint their braces,” and visualize how teeth will look with different colors of bands.
Braces aren’t just for pre-adolescents and teenagers anymore! Dr. Christopher Chung will tell you that anyone, at any age, can benefit from orthodontic treatment, whether it’s correcting a problem not treated in your younger years, or catching a problem early. 
We’ve all heard that biting your nails is an awful habit, but you many wonder- really- what’s so bad about it? Recently, our team at Smile Solutions found an interesting article that discusses how biting your nails affect your teeth and oral health.
Trust us when we say Dr. Chung and our staff know there are quite a few myths about orthodontics (and orthodontists) floating around these days. But before you buy into those myths, we think you should get the facts! Our friends at the American Association of Orthodontists set the record straight (no pun intended) and have provided some information that sheds some light on the myths and facts of orthodontics. We encourage you to check them out today!
Week after week, Dr. Chung and team blog about important topics pertinent to orthodontic treatment care and your well-being, including innovative orthodontic techniques we offer. This week, we thought we’d step back and ask you, our wonderful patients and readers: what’s on your mind? What would you like to know about the always-changing field of orthodontics? What would you like us to focus on our blog in the coming months? Perhaps there’s something you’ve wanted to ask us for a while now? Let us know by posting here or on our interactive Facebook fan page!
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