Every day we use different tools to accomplish something. Whether it is fixing a tire or opening a can of pickles. Sometimes the tools we use are simply our two hands. Sometimes we need an electric drill. Something we shouldn’t use as tools are our teeth. Biting our fingernails is a common one. Using our teeth to open a bag of chips is another. Opening the following items with your teeth may seem like a good idea but it is just not worth the risk of damaging those pearly whites.
Packages
Any sort of sealed package like a bag of chips, an object that is in shrink-wrap, or closed boxes with packing tape usually require a sharp edge of some sort to open. It’s certainly appealing to quickly rip into them with your teeth because you think it saves time, but the sharp plastic of shrink-wrap or tape can result in cuts, and if the material doesn’t tear easily, you can even dislocate your jaw out of place from the strain of trying to tear it.
Bottles
You might think you are impressing people because you know how to pop the metal top off of a glass bottle with your teeth, but you run the risk of chipping or cracking a tooth in the process. The sharp metal edge of a bottle cap could cut your gums or mouth and if the glass breaks you would have further injury. If you don’t have a bottle opener handy, you can also bang it open on a sturdy table edge.
Nuts or Seeds in a Shell
It seems convenient to use your teeth to open a nutshell and hey if a squirrel can do it then why not right? Wrong! You are very likely to end up with a cracked or chipped tooth instead of a cracked shell. It’s worth the effort to look through your kitchen drawer for that nutcracker. It just might save you an emergency trip to the dentist office.
Sales Tags
Sales tags on clothes are annoying. And sometimes seem relatively easy to remove. But don’t underestimate the strength of that plastic. They can be surprisingly strong and hard to break. And will make a weakened tooth worse. Save yourself a damaged tooth and use a pair of scissors or nail clippers instead.
No matter what the object is, it’s never a good idea to use your teeth as tools for anything other than chewing your food. But if you ever find yourself with a damaged tooth Clark Family Dental offers cosmetic dentistry and restorative dentistry treatments. We are here to help and will answer any questions you may have. Contact us today!
