Say ‘No!’ to Nail Biting
Be Kinder to Your Teeth
N ail biting is a widespread habit. Researchers estimate that one- third of the world’s population, including nearly half of all teenagers, bites their nails. Many believe this compulsive behavior arises from stress or boredom, but even though it’s been studied extensively, there are no concrete explanations for why so many humans do it regularly. What we do know, however, are plenty of concrete reasons why it’s important to break this habit. It might seem like your teeth are much stronger than your fingernails. In the short term, this is true because your teeth easily chomp and tear through your nails, but over time, your teeth will fall victim to the habit as the friction results in chipping, cracking, and gradual erosion. That means excessive biting can wear enamel away, leaving your teeth vulnerable to decay. Don’t Miss Kids’ Day Have you heard about Kids’ Day? Once a month, Briarfield Dental Care throws a special celebration focused exclusively on our youngest patients. The office is transformed with fun decorations, the whole team gets dressed up, and there are lots of prizes for kids who come in to join the fun. Plus, we have special spin brushes and offers on sealants and mouthguards only available during Kids’ Day.
Biting your nails can also force your teeth to move. Repeated pushing and pressure causes teeth to shift, resulting in problems with your bite or gaps in your teeth. Another serious issue nail biters may encounter is root resorption, when the jawbone actually reabsorbs the roots of the teeth, weakening them and leaving them vulnerable to falling out. If you have braces and bite your nails, you’re even more susceptible to resorption. All this, and we haven’t even talked about bacteria yet! Dirt and germs get trapped under our fingernails no matter how clean we try to keep them. So when we put our fingers in our mouth, that bacteria transfers to our teeth and gums and may cause periodontal disease or other illnesses. If you’re a nail biter trying to break the habit, there are some simple solutions. Try trimming your nails regularly so there’s nothing to bite. You can also paint your nails with polish or coat
them with bitter substances to deter yourself from biting. If you think stress is causing you to engage in this vice, keep a stress ball nearby and grab it instead of giving in to the biting urge. Keep your teeth and nails healthy by keeping them away from each other. You’ll avoid potentially expensive damage, and breaking the habit will help you find more productive reactions to stress and boredom.
‘Come Dancing With The Kinks’ Dr. Stuckey’s Playlist When I think about the history of my love of
popularity as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones. This might have been partially due to them being banned from performing in the United States for several years in the ‘60s. There was a lot of
music, few bands from my early days of listening stand out quite like The Kinks. That is, they stand out to me. Despite The Kinks being a major part of the British Invasion, I’ve found that most people can’t name many songs by this group. “Lola” and “You Really Got Me” are two of their biggest
tension in the band, especially between the Davies brothers. Onstage fights and behind- the-scenes brawls eventually led the American Federation of Musicians to deny The Kinks permits to perform in the U.S. Despite this, when The Kinks came back to the U.S. during the Vietnam War, the band became pretty popular with anti-war activists.
hits, and I’d be surprised if many people remember that these songs are by The Kinks.
The Kinks were very influential on other bands of the 1960s. Formed in North London by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, The Kinks created an original sound, mixing rock ‘n’ roll with blues. I took a real liking to them as a kid and still enjoy their music today. They performed for over 30 years before breaking up in 1997. The Davies brothers did start performing together again in 2018.
A few of my favorites songs by The Kinks are “Apeman,” “Better Things,” “A Well Respected Man,” and “Sunny Afternoon.” You might not be familiar with any of these titles, but if you listen to any of their greatest hits albums, “Come Dancing With The Kinks” for example, I’ll bet you’ll recognize the songs right away. At least, you will if you’re part of my generation.
May 21 - Shark Day June 18 - Pirate Day July 23 - Dinosaur Day Aug. 20 - Baseball Day
Despite being incredibly influential on music of the era, The Kinks never gained the same level of
419-866-6985 · www.briarfielddentalcare.com · 3
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator