My front teeth used to look like this. The bottom edge was very thin, sharp, almost translucent. I used those sharp thin edges as a precision chisel in biting my nails. Then a small piece of my front teeth broke off, and for cosmetic reasons I had the rest of the edge filed down a millimetre or so.
When I did so, I had not thought of nail biting. But it turns out that without my precision chisel teeth, nail nibbling has become impossible! My nails have started to grow out beautifully these past three weeks.
I had never thought that perhaps people who don’t bite their nails perhaps don’t have the teeth for it. How often do you think about the funtionality of other people’s teeth, after all? But filing down a millimetre of one’s front teeth just might be an easy answer.
I have never understood how people managed to bite their nails. I’ve tried, out of curiosity, and no way can I bite through them.
On the other hand, I do tear my nails off once they get to a certain length. I make a little notch in the side using another nail and then tear them across. Very satisfying, unless you get too close to the skin.
I don’t bite my nails myself, but I have a friend who chipped his tooth while biting his toenail. Yes, his toenail. I don’t think my mouth can even reach my toes.
I think it’s a really interesting observation. I used to bite my nails. Somewhere in the last 3 or 4 years I pretty much stopped, but I have no idea if it has anything to do with the fact that I have been grinding my teeth in my sleep and my teeth are really worn down.
That is interesting. That made me realize that nail biting may be more common in kids because their teeth are just smaller. My fellow nail biters know that to get at the often ridiculously small edges we want to nibble, you have to have really, really fine tools.
I just added my theory to Wikipedia. I hope it doesn’t get edited away and that someone gets to test it. It could be interesting to test this theory to see if nailbiting stops when people get their front teeth crowned or capped, for instance.
ETA: Supporting my theory: " Some nail biters who undergo orthodontic treatment find that wearing a retainer or a bite plate makes it impossible for them to sever their nails with their teeth. This can have the unintentional side-effect of helping the individual to overcome their nail-biting habit.". Getting a retainer as therapy is not an option for adults, but getting front teeth capped or filed down is. It is noteworthy that any ordinary dentist can file down teeth: it is a very simple, cheap and easy procedure.
I’m a lifelong nail biter. Your idea makes sense. My problem is purely insanity. Any nail whatsoever bothers me to the point where I can’t focus. And nail clippers aren’t able to get them short enough.
Exactly how I quit. I had a bridge installed in the lower left, and my teeth no longer came together properly for nail biting. Then I began nibbling and tearing cuticles. Regular professional manicures cured that , and I have great nails!
I quit when I got braces, but not because it didn’t work - it just hurt!
Before that I couldn’t manage to quit because I wouldn’t realize I was doing it until I found my fingers at my mouth. Once the braces were on, The pain made me instantly aware and so I could stop myself. Once the nails grew a bit the sensitivity at the tips of my fingers slowly calmed; I no longer felt that itchy sensation whenever there was a bit of white showing on my nails.
Part of the fun of biting your nails is being able to use the strip of nail as a tooth pick. Why pay for tooth picks or dental floss when you can grow your own?
