Marvin A. Fier, DDS, FASDA

Teeth—Chewing Specialists

We have all used our teeth for knives and scissors at one time or another, but if those infrequent occurrences become habits, they can affect your bank account in the long run.

Oral habits often start when we are kids. Think about how a toddler learns about his or her world: everything goes into the mouth. This habit usually goes away in time, but some adults still chew on pencils or they bite their fingernails, not to explore their surroundings, but because they're stressed or anxious.

Other habits can develop out of necessity. For example, a person who smokes a pipe may place the pipe stem in the same location between the teeth. Eventually, teeth are pushed out of position [top image]. Misaligned teeth can result in a bad bite, pain, headaches…and orthodontic$.

Someone who has a notch in a tooth might be removing those plastic price tag fasteners from their clothing or habitually biting on another similarly shaped object.

People who chew ice have damaged their crowns and fillings as well as broken their teeth.

Using your teeth for scissors or a milk carton opener can result in unnecessary, costly dental repairs.

If you feel compelled to chew or bite, chew sugarless gum or bite-sized apple chunks, and leave the price tag fasteners for the Swiss Army knife.

Have a question or concern? Just gives us a call and we will schedule you for an appointment.