4 year old biting nails

Dear Parents,

We are a group of dental hygiene students at Indian Hills Community College. For one of
our classes, we attended the child development center that your child is a part of. We observe
children and pick up on any sort of habits that could potentially be problematic to the
development of the oral cavity.
As we were observing we noticed that your child was biting their nails a lot. Nail biting is
a very common habit however it can cause a lot issues if it never gets stopped. Nails harbor a
lot of bacteria underneath them, therefore a lot of bacteria is being introduced into your child’s
oral cavity which could also make them sick. If constant nail biting occurs it can cause the
enamel of the teeth to get worn down causing “attrition” which is the technical term for that.
The gums could also be getting a lot of trauma to them causing the gums to recede farther from
the tooth. Lastly, constant strain on the teeth could cause a tooth to chip, resulting in dental
work.
We would like to give you some helpful hints on things that you can do to aid in
stopping your child’s nail biting. You could first explain to your child that the germs from their
hands and nails could cause them to have a tummy ache or get sick. Painting the child’s nails is
also an option, your child may not want to mess up their “pretty nails”. Putting bad tasting
things on the hands such as hand sanitizer or vinegar could deter your child from putting them
in the mouth. Lastly, keeping the nails short so that there isn’t much to bite at might be a good
option as well.
We hope this letter finds you well and that you are able to integrate some of these tips
into your daily routine to help the best interest of your child.

Best Regards,

IHCC Dental Defenders