It happens to the best of us: we're trying to open up a food package or similar, and we have trouble doing it with our hands. If you're like many of us, your first instinct might be to snatch it open with your teeth. Hey, it works, right? It can be common for this to be first instinct when you can't open something, but the truth is, it's a habit that we all really need to break.
What's the Big Deal?
Your teeth are for chewing, not for opening things, so stop treating your teeth like a tool! If you have dental work, such as crowns or implants, you have to worry about destroying them. If any of your teeth are slightly loose or are otherwise damaged, using them as a tool can cause them to become looser. The last thing that you probably need is to make your existing dental problems even worse, after all!
If your teeth are in great shape, using them occasionally to open a package might not seem like a big deal, and it's true that it might not cause immediate damage. However, if this becomes a common habit, it can destroy your teeth over time. It can cause damage to the enamel on the outside of your teeth, for example, and can cause them to wear down. Depending on how often you do it and how hard you pull, you might even cause your teeth to come loose!
It's a tough habit to break, but truthfully, if this is something that you're guilty of, now is the time to stop. Also, make sure that you schedule regular dental appointments to make sure that you have not caused any damage already and to help address any issues that might have come from using your teeth as a tool or otherwise mistreating them.
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