Frequent Nail Biter? Here's What Your Dental Future Holds
Being a nail biter isn't something most people are proud of. In addition, most people know that it can make their teeth crooked if they do it for long enough. However, that's just the beginning of how frequent nail-biting can affect your teeth. If you're a nail biter and you're worried about potentially harming your teeth, this is what could be in your dental future.
Long-Term Results of Nail Biting
Nail-biting constantly pushes on teeth, forcing them to become crooked over time. However, that's just part of the damage.
When you bite your nails, you put a huge amount of pressure on the upper and lower teeth that are responsible for breaking through the nail. Teeth aren't normally forced to put up with this kind of pressure on a regular basis. The meals that you eat every day probably require gentle chewing in comparison, after all.
Over time, this chronic pressure can wear away at your teeth. Gradually, the enamel will get chipped away, followed by the tooth itself. This is a major problem that can leave you at risk of developing cavities in the damaged tooth or teeth.
Side Effects
Unfortunately, cavities aren't the only thing that you have to worry about. Teeth that are damaged this way often become far more sensitive, too. This is because there's less enamel protecting the tooth, so the nerves inside the tooth are closer to the surface. This means that everything that touches the tooth will be felt more intensely, including cold and hot. Getting rid of this sensitivity isn't something that can be accomplished alone, and repairing the tooth is something you'll definitely need help for.
Best Repair Method
The good news is, once you do visit a dentist, getting this kind of problem fixed is pretty easy. Your dentist will use dental fillings to repair the damage.
Unlike with cavities, most chipped and damaged teeth don't need to be drilled first in order to get a repair in the form of a filling. This is because there's no decay to remove, so the filling can be applied straight on the tooth. Your dentist will carefully shape the filling to match the original shape of your teeth, ensuring that the edges are level with the surrounding teeth to give you a comfortable and functional bite. Once the filling is dried, you can immediately go back to eating and drinking the way that you normally would. You should immediately experience less sensitivity, too.
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