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Curing the nail-biting habit

Do you ever find yourself gnawing at your nails? Nail-biting is a very common and difficult to break habit which usually has its beginnings in childhood. It can leave your fingers and nail beds red and swollen. But if you think that your nails are the only ones getting roughed up by nail-biting you’d be mistaken—so are your teeth!

According to a study by the Academy of General Dentistry, those who bite their nails, clench their teeth, or chew on pencils are at much higher risk to develop bruxism (unintentional grinding of the teeth). Bruxism can lead to tooth sensitivity, tooth loss, receding gums, headaches, and general facial pain.

Those are some nasty sounding side effects from chewing on your nails. Most nail-biting is a sign of stress or anxiety and its something you should deal with. So what steps can you take if you have a nail-biting habit?

There are several things you can do to ease up on nail-biting:

  • Trim your nails shorter and/or get regular manicures – Trimming your nails shorter is an effective remedy. In so doing, they’ll be less tempting and more difficult to bite on. If you also get regular manicures, you’ll be less likely to ruin the investment you’ve made in your hands and fingernails!
  • Find a different kind of stress reduction – Try meditation, deep breathing, practicing qigong or yoga, or doing something that will keep your hands occupied like squeezing a stress ball or playing with a yo-yo.
  • Wear a bitter-tasting nail polish – When your nails taste awful, you won’t bite them! Clear or colored, it doesn’t matter. This is also a helpful technique for helping children get over the habit.
  • Figure out what triggers your nail-biting – Sometimes it’s triggered by stress or anxiety and other times it can be a physical stressor, like having hang nails. Knowing what situations cause you to bite your nails will help you to avoid them and break the habit.
  • Wear gloves or bandages on your fingers – If you’ve tried the steps above and they aren’t working, this technique can prove effective since your fingernails won’t be accessible to bite.

If you’re still having trouble with nail-biting after trying these self-help steps, it’s best to consult your doctor, dermatologist, or Dr. Sal Zammitti and Dr. Matthew P. Gidaly. For some, it may also be the sign of a deeper psychological or emotional problem.

Whatever the cause, nail-biting is a habit you need to break for your physical and emotional well-being. If you have any questions about the effects it can have on your oral health, please don’t hesitate to ask Dr. Sal Zammitti and Dr. Matthew P. Gidaly during your next visit to our Concorde, NC office.

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The first step toward achieving a beautiful, healthy smile is to schedule an appointment. Simply select a location below, then choose the time and day that works best with your schedule.

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Patient Testimonials

We Love Making People Smile

Hear what our patients have to say about their experience with us!

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I went for my consult today and loved every minute. The staff was so nice and special shout out to Karen, the treatment coordinator, whom I absolutely ADORE! She’s very thorough with all... the information she provides and answers any and all questions. Would so far definitely recommended them!read more
Heavon J.
I love all the Ladies at the Harrisburg Office. I am going to miss seeing them when my son Zachary's braces come off. Would definitely recommend.
Gypsy C.
Great customer service great experience on today she made my son Son feel at ease
Dorothy B.
I enjoyed my visit for the very first time the staff made me feel comfortable from the time I walked in. Everything was just great about the office. I highly recommend.!
Shacoria C.
We had a great experience! Dr Matt is very friendly and thorough and great with kids!
Lori B.
Matt is a great provider. His team works hard and are very kind/polite. My daughter felt very comfortable in their care. I highly recommend this practice.
Danielle D.
Very clean, safe, friendly and dedicated staff! I’m excited to get serviced by staff!
Jaz
I want to say I visited a Orthodontist today named Zammitti &Gidaly in DavidsonWelcoming and professionalism.Thank you Dr.Gidaly and Karen for your great smiles that meet us this... morning!!!!Excellence in what they do!!!Rev.Jettonread more
Etheleen J.
We had a great visit and consultation. Dr. Gilday helped us understand where we are right now, gave us a timeline for orthodontic needs, and answered all our questions.
Casey V.
Everyone was so nice and explained in great detail what my son needed . It didn't feel like a sales pitch, it was in the best interest of my son and our concerns. Looking forward to them... helping my son be more comfortable and confident.read more
Steph
Lovely facility, amazing staff and outstanding customer service/ expertise. So glad we found this office !
Chamasha T.
The staff was beyond helpful and kind. Dr. G was patient and very knowledgeable. Great experience!
Katie R.
Amazing experience. Everyone is kind and professional at this location. Karen is a true sweetheart. Dr. Gidaly is straightforward & professional. You will not be disappointed!!!
Keana C.
WOW! Just WOW! Absolutely detest dental work due to previous experiences at a dentist's offices being so traumatic & the judgement I feel at the practices I've been a patient at. Not to... mention, the use of what I feel are scare tactics or at least come across that way. Therefore, I was definitely nervous about my initial ortho consultation with Dr. Zammitti...dreading the possibility of hearing all the things that are wrong & ugly about my teeth along with the pressure of having to have everything "fixed". My experience couldn't have been any further from that. I couldn't have asked for a better experience from the moment I walked in & met my treatment coordinator to the moment I left & everything in between. My treatment coordinator respected my "dental anxiety" & couldn't have done her job any better. Dr. Zammitti is hilarious to me, I'm not sure why but I find him very funny....and BRILLIANT! Like super BRILLIANT! He actually sat down at a desk with me to talk!!!! He explained things in normal human language that made sense. He didn't try to boast how intelligent he is or the endless list of credentials by throwing out tons of medical terminology that could be intimidating & cause someone to become overwhelmed. I didn't feel judged or criticized. I felt like his approach was more of "this is what I can do to make your smile perfect" rather than "you need to do this or all these bad things are going to happen". Everything was clear & I felt like I had a choice. My treatment coordinator explained the financials, which also made me feel like I had options. Because of my initial experience,I chose to follow Dr. Zammitti's suggestions toget braces. Dr. Zammitti & the assistant, Nathalie,were both very gentle putting braces on...BUT they also worked quickly which was crucial for me....yet I felt like if I had needed a break at any point,they would have been completely fine with it.l & wouldn't have grown impatient. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this practice!!!! If you want your smile to be as flawlessas possible ....GO HERE!!!read more
Kelly L.
We had a great experience with Dr. Gidaly. He is kind and patient, never forceful in his approach. My daughter was a little nervous about starting orthodontic treatment, but Dr. Gidaly... made her feel completely at ease from the first visit.read more
Matt K.
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