Chewing on plastic and fingernails
After a thorough intraoral examination, we noticed the presence of an enamel fracture on the left maxillary central incisor with an enamel-dentin fracture of the right mandibular central incisor following a trauma during the patient's adolescence. Clinical examination showed fingertip mutilation associated with generalized paronychia and onycholysis ( Figure 1). The patient stated several failed attempts to quit biting his nails which left him powerless against breaking this habit. The anamnesis also showed first symptoms of nail biting since early childhood. The medical history of the patient revealed regular nail biting associated with recurrent infections of fingernails otherwise it was grossly unremarkable.
The aim of this paper is to describe a nonpunitive fixed appliance utilizing a stainless steel twisted round wire bonded from canine to canine, on the mandibular arch, as a treatment of onychophagia.Ī 26-year-old male patient was referred to our Department of Dental Medicine to treat his onychophagia with the chief complaint of the hideous aspect of his fingers. Unfortunately, even nowadays there has not been a strong deterrent to onychophagia which therefore remains an unsolved problem in medicine and dentistry. Others focus on target areas as they fetch solutions to keep the hands away from the mouth among which the application of a bitter-tasting nail polish or the use of an occlusive dressing on fingertips is mainly cited. Some of them focus on the psychological aspect of this oral habit aiming to obtain a behavioral change such as psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy. To date, several treatments have been proposed to manage nail biting. Ĭontinuous nonphysiological mechanical forces induced by this habit may also lead to clinical dental crowding, rotations, or malocclusion. Moreover, biting pressure can be transferred down from the crown to the root leading to small fractures at the edges of incisors, apical root resorption, alveolar destruction, or gingivitis. On the other hand, just like any other oral parafunction, onychophagia may cause temporomandibular dysfunction. Besides the persistently embarrassing and socially undesirable cosmetic problem, onychophagia is responsible for recurrent chronic paronychia, subungual infection, onychomycosis, or severe damage to the nail bed causing onycholysis. Nail biting is associated with a variety of medical and dental problems. Others support that onychophagia is a learned behavior from family members, which most likely seems consistent with a process of imitation.
Although it has been observed that nail biters have more anxiety than those who do not have the habit, no relevant relationship was found between nail biting and anxiety. To date, the exact etiology of onychophagia remains as yet unclear.
By the age of 18 years the frequency of nail biting decreases however it may persist in some adults. It ranges from 20 to 33% during childhood and approximately 45% of teenagers are nail biters. The prevalence of nail biting increases from childhood to adolescence and decreases in adulthood. Onychophagia is usually not observed before the age of 3 or 4 years. Only few epidemiological studies provide the frequency or the prevalence of this habit and most data are limited to children and adolescents. "Any new brown or pigmented mark under a nail that is not a bruise should be evaluated by a dermatologist.Onychophagia is defined as a chronic habit of biting nails, commonly observed in both children and young adults, and it is classified among nail diseases caused by repeated injuries.
#CHEWING ON PLASTIC AND FINGERNAILS CRACK#
"As the spot of ALM grows, it may begin to crack or break the nail."Įven if you aren't seeing a crack in your nail, Lain urges making an appointment as soon as you see a change in color.
#CHEWING ON PLASTIC AND FINGERNAILS SKIN#
"You may notice general discoloration on your nails, as well as spots or lines of discoloration extending onto the cuticle and skin where it meets the nails," she says. Regardless of whether or not you're a nail biter, it's wise to be vigilant about any changes you see on your hands and nails, which Del Campo says could be symptoms called Hutchinson’s sign. "This is most specifically seen in burn wounds and chronic ulcers." And while that chronic trauma can, as we now know, be the kind caused by severe nail-biting, different types of injuries and conditions are usually to blame. "Chronic trauma and/or inflammation has been associated with skin cancer development, primarily squamous cell cancer," Lain says. But those cancerous changes aren't typically attributed to ALM. "Any type of constant trauma can lead to continuous inflammation and damage causing abnormal cells, which multiply and by definition can lead to cancerous changes," Del Campo explains. Chronic trauma and/or inflammation has been associated with skin cancer development.Įven though ALM isn't very common, it isn't unheard of for injury to lead to cancer.