TOOTH TRUTHS

TweAkS to dental hygiene that could make a difference. This week: Don’t bite

your nails CHEWING your fingernails when stressed may be bad for dental health (as well as making your nails look a mess).

‘In biting our nails, we transfer bacteria from underneath the fingernail to our gums,’ says Oga Eze, a dentist based in Essex.

The rough edges of the nail can also tear the tissue in your gums. This may, in turn, encourage tooth decay and increase the risk of gum infection.

Dr Eze suggests trying to find ‘a substitute for chewing your nails, such as squeezing a stress ball’.