Nail Biting

Nail Biting Do you constantly find yourself biting your nails off for no reason at all? Or have you ever thought about the damages caused by nail biting? Many people do not realize and know that there are medical affects and explanations for nail biting. Adults usually do not find themselves with this bad habit because nail biting is most common among kids and teens but mainly more within guys than girls. However regardless of gender or age nail biting can lead to unwanted consequences caused by stress, nervousness, or hunger. Unwanted consequences mainly consist with dental complications such as the chipping of your teeth.
For most people, chipping a tooth is the only negative effect that biting your nails might have on your teeth. In fact, the book Pediatric Dentistry by Pinkham states: There is no evidence that nail biting can cause dental change other than minor enamel fractures. Nail biting can also cause a gap between your two front teeth. If the nail biting habit begins when the child is very young, it has been reported to cause a gap between teeth. In addition causing gaps between your teeth can cause the roots of your teeth to become weaker. Nail biting during braces has been shown to cause root resorption.
Last but not least nail biting can cause gingivitis. For example in the case report of a nine-year-old boy whose father called the dental office to describe his son’s complaint of swelling of the gums surrounding the top front tooth. The patient came to the office the same day. The initial clinical examination revealed swelling of the gingival. During discussion with the parent and patient, the dentist noted that the patient’s fingernails were bitten off. The patient and parent confirmed a habit of nail biting. Therefore the dentist removed from the gums a piece of nail that was compressed in.

Nail biting can cause many dental complications however, what causes people to bit their nails? Many doctors and psychologists state that medical and psychological situations cause nail biting to occur without even realizing it. For example nail-biting is a common stress-relieving habit. Stress is that feeling you get when you’re really worried about something. There are general factors that can lead to stress such as threats which include physical threats, social threats, financial threats, fears, and uncertainty. Therefore a common way people to react to stress is nail biting.
A child or even an adult uses nail biting as a coping mechanism to relieve stuffed emotions. It has been documented that some people bite their nails in their sleep, sometimes wholly. This has been linked to stress while dreaming. Secondly, nervousness also leads to nail biting. When people are nervous, they fidget. Fidgeting involves moving with excitement. Hands, legs and other parts of the body make quick movements, with no particular aim. This is a reflex movement, initiated by the subconscious mind. This is a reaction to a tense situation. We do not know what to do but we know that we have to do something.
Nail biting is one way of the body’s response to the call for doing something. Children sometimes face an unpleasant situation. They commit a mischief and are caught. When they are confronted by their parents or teachers, they just stand biting their nails. This is a defense mechanism to prevent the children from doing an absurd act that could make the matter worse. Thirdly, as simple as this may sound, it has been revealed that some people who suffer from biting on their nails complains that they will only do so when they are feeling extremely hungry.
Some will even go as far as to say that when they are hungry and they chew on their fingernails, they will get a soothing, as well as a comforting feeling that will sometimes drive away the hunger sensation. Several treatment measures may help you stop biting your nails. For example keeping your nails trimmed and filed, taking care of your nails can help reduce your nail-biting habit and encourage you to keep your nails attractive. Also try substituting another activity, such as drawing, writing when you find yourself biting your nails.
Substituting nail biting can reduce the chances of getting dental complications. However it is important to keep in mind that psychological factors contribute to the bad habit of nail biting which is stress nervousness or hunger. These factors should be considered in stopping the reoccurrence of nail biting. http://www. nail-care-tips. com/nail-biting. php http://www. ehow. com/about_5097901_reasons-nail-biting. html http://www. tellinitlikeitis. net/2009/04/nail-biting-causes-consequences-cure-how-to-stop- biting-your-nails. html http://www. webmd. com/healthy-beauty/guide/stop-nail-biting-tips