Have you ever noticed your children biting their fingernails? You might not think too much of it upon first glance, but the truth is that it’s a habit that can be very detrimental to your child’s dental health. We here at Sparkles Dentistry for Children, the premier pediatric dentist in Verona, NJ, want to help you avoid letting your children develop this habit for the sake of their dental health.

This common habit that kids develop occurs for a variety of different reasons and might become a regular habit for your child in no time if you don’t properly address it. It’s important to understand the reasons behind this habit and how it can negatively affect your child’s dental health so that you can take action towards correcting it. That’s why we’ve decided to put together the following article to help you learn why you should be on the lookout for your children’s nail-biting habits.

Nail-biting is usually caused by nervousness, stress, or boredom. When your children are not feeling well or are anxious about something that is going on in their life, they might resort to nail-biting as a coping mechanism. The problem with nail-biting habit is that it can slowly wear down your child’s teeth. Nails are hard, which means that biting them over time puts pressure on your children’s permanent teeth and can even lead to chipped teeth. Nails can easily grow back, permanent teeth do not.

You should also help your kids avoid forming this habit since there is usually harmful bacteria under your nails. Things like E. Coli can grow under fingernails and cause health problems for your kids when they are biting their nails. Not to mention the fact that it is simply not a clean habit for your kids to form.

The good news about nail biting is that it is a habit that can easily be corrected. If you think your children are biting their nails due to stress, help them relieve stress in healthy ways such as exercise. Make sure you communicate well with your children every day to get a good sense of how they are feeling. Also, you can always make sure that their nails are well-trimmed so that there’s nothing for them to chew on!

We hope this article has provided some valuable insight into why nail-biting is a habit that all parents should look out for. Reach out to the best pediatric dentist in West Orange, NJ if you have any questions about nail biting or if you’d like to schedule a checkup.