Although teeth might seem stronger than nails, over time, nail-biting can harm both teeth and gums.

As teeth grind against nails, enamel gradually wears away or even cracks. In addition to damaging teeth, biting nails can also cause them to move, resulting in malocclusions (bite problems) and gaps. A major danger of nail-biting is that it weakens roots and increases their vulnerability to falling out. People wearing braces are at an even greater risk.

Here are some tips to help you stop biting your nails:

• Cut your nails regularly so they don’t grow long.
• Paint your nails with bitter-tasting polish to make biting associated with a bad taste.
• A manicure is a great idea! Having pretty nails will motivate you to keep them that way.
• Switch to a more harmless form of fidgeting, such as silly putty or a stress ball, instead of biting your nails.