Why You Shouldn’t Use Your Teeth as Tools

We’ve all used our teeth to tear open packaging that’s just too hard to open with our hands. However, your dentist in Charlottesville wants to remind you that there are tools designed to specifically help us open pesky packages, and those tools aren’t our teeth. Both children and adults alike can damage their teeth if they’re used for anything other than chewing food. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ways tooth damage occurs when we use teeth as tools. 

• Popping Bottle Caps

For adults, there’s a popular, yet dangerous, ‘bar trick’ that involves a bottle top being popped open using nothing but teeth. Truthfully, the thought of doing that makes our teeth hurt, and actually doing it can certainly cause trouble. But this unexplainable trick isn’t the only time teeth may be used to open bottles. Any screw top bottle can be difficult to open, and instead of asking for help, some people tend to brace the cap between their molars, bite down, and twist. This unnatural pressure on the teeth can cause them to chip or break and will require treatment from your dentist in Charlottesville to fix. 

• Cutting or Opening Packages 

Two of the most common ways kids and adults use their teeth as tools are to use them to quickly open packages or to cut tags that, in reality, should be handled with scissors. We get it, it’s often faster to rip a tag off a new shirt or rip open that bag of chips with your teeth instead of finding a pair of scissors. However, doing so can also result in broken or chipped teeth. Additionally, cuts to the gums, lips, or other areas around the mouth can also occur. 

• Carrying Items When You’re Out of Hands

It’s human nature to try to optimize our time by carrying as many things as possible in one trip. However, we only have so many hands and can only carry so many items at one time. The solution to this? Well, many of us turn to our mouths as another hand. Our teeth aren’t designed to grip and hold onto things, and doing so can result in damage to the teeth themselves or even your jaw. Not to mention, there’s a serious risk of choking or serious injury if you fall while holding something in your mouth. When in doubt, make a few trips. 

• Nibbling On Non-Food Items

While our teeth are designed to chew and breakdown foods, they aren’t necessarily designed to chew on everything. Things like fingernails, pens, and pencils can also cause tooth damage as well as put unnecessary stress on the jaw joint. Additionally, these items can be covered in germs which, if ingested, can make us sick. 

Using teeth for anything other than what they’re designed for can be dangerous, so stick to the basics and use your teeth only to chew your food. However, if you do sustain a tooth injury, we encourage you to call your Charlottesville dentist to schedule an appointment quickly so you can get the care you need and get back to smiling in no time.

About The Author

Dr. Jack T. Kayton

Dr. Jack T. Kayton has served families in Charlottesville and surrounding areas since 1994 through his general and family dentistry private practice. Believing that everyone deserves quality dental care, he donates his time to worthy causes. He volunteers at the Donated Dental Service and the Charlottesville Free Clinic. His professional affiliations include the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the Academy of General Dentistry, among others.

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