Stop biting your nails! Your breath may be suffering

Sure, biting your nails may make your hands be a source of embarrassment (I know my nails are never perfectly rounded), but did you know it can also be one of the factors that cause bad breath?

Stressing out your teeth
Although most of the 50 percent of humans who bite their nails do so to relieve stress, using your teeth to file down your nails can actually be damaging to your chompers. Sure, bones are strong, but they will get worn down if regularly used to chew on the tough keratin that fingernails are made out of - they aren't made of steel, you know!

Gingivitis, anyone?
Weakening teeth can lead to a bevy of issues, including weaker tooth roots, loose teeth, and last (but not certainly least), it can also make your gums more susceptible to gingivitis - and if any of you are loyal followers of this blog, you'll know that one of the main side effects of gingivitis is bad breath. Hey, if you were a mouth and you were in trouble, you would probably give off a foul odor, too!

Quit for good
This so-called self-inflicted gingival injury is easy to overcome: stop biting! Biters can choose to brush on a coat of nail-biting deterrent polish (many varieties come in clear, so you manly men don't have to worry about any looks you get from wearing nail polish) to make your nails - shall we say - a little less appetizing. Discovery Fit & Health also recommended enlisting a fellow nail-biting friend to kick the habit with. If you both are keeping each other's biting (and nail lengths) in check, you may also be able to look forward to a friend that's sans-halitosis. Now that's what we call a win-win situation!