3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Your Teeth as Tools

Although opening a bottle top with your teeth is a cool party trick and ripping open a package with your teeth offers convenience, these habits can hinder your dental health. Teeth play a crucial role in our lives, allowing us to eat, speak, and express emotions. Any type of damage or mistreatment of teeth can affect such abilities. While using your teeth as a substitute for scissors or bottle openers might seem handy, there are numerous compelling reasons why you should avoid using your teeth as tools.

1. Risk of Chipping or Cracking

Using your teeth to perform tasks they’re not designed for can cause them to chip or crack. When you use your teeth as tools, you expose them to forces and pressures they cannot always withstand. Materials such as plastic or metal are much harder than the natural substances our teeth are ready to handle.

Applying excessive pressure while trying to open a bottle or tear open a package can lead to undue stress on the tooth enamel. Over time, this stress can cause the enamel to weaken, making it easier for your teeth to chip or crack. These cracks and chips affect the appearance of your teeth and expose the more sensitive inner layers of the tooth, leading to potential pain and further dental problems.

2. Risk of Injuries

Using your teeth as tools can cause more than just dental damage; it can also lead to injuries to your gums and jaw. When you apply force to your teeth in unintended ways, you run the risk of causing lacerations to your gums. These cuts can be painful and, if they become infected, could require medical treatment.

Moreover, the undue strain on your jaw can result in Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ). Excessive or irregular force can irritate this joint and lead to TMJ, a painful condition that can cause headaches, ear pain, difficulty chewing, and clicking of the jaw joint.

3. Accidental Ingestion of Foreign Objects

Using your teeth to hold items such as nails, tags, or strings between your teeth or tear into something increases the chance of accidentally swallowing or inhaling small pieces. While trying to tear off a tag or open a package, parts of the object could break off and inadvertently enter your respiratory or digestive systems. Accidental ingestions can pose serious choking hazards, lead to digestive complications or respiratory distress, and risk exposure to potential toxins or harmful substances.

There are many reasons you should avoid using your teeth as tools, making it one of the many bad habits you should stop for your oral health in the future. Your teeth are invaluable tools for eating and speaking, but not so much for a Swiss Army Knife replacement. Maintain your oral health by using the right tools for the job and leaving the hard work to your teeth only during mealtime.