Apical Root Resorption And Nail Biting

Nail biting may cause a number of negative side effects not isolated to your nails and fingers themselves. While we nail biters are aware of the pain we often cause ourselves when we bite our nails too short and the potential diseases we may introduce to our mouth, we might be unaware of more serious problems that may occur to our teeth.

Dentistry Today refers to root resorption as “the progressive loss of dentin and cementum by the action of odontoclasts.” The cementum is the part that covers the root of the tooth. Root resorption may also affect the interior pulp, dentin or the root of the tooth itself. The problem often begins outside the tooth and then works its way inside. Root resorption is thus the shortening of the root of the tooth.

The main causes of root resorption include nail biting, orthodontic treatment and bleaching of teeth. Root resorption and nail biting are correlated as research has shown that people who have orthodontic braces are at increased risk of root resorption over those with braces who don’t bite their nails. Research has shown that while those with braces risk root resorption in general, the likelihood that they suffer from it increases when they additionally bite their nails.

Root Resorption And Orthodontic Braces

Apical root resorption (ARR) is a negative side effect of braces that may occur during orthodontic treatment. It involves the potential permanent damage of the top of the root of the teeth. Those of us with full braces are at a higher risk of getting ARR as a result of orthodontic treatment.

Train track-style braces put significant stress on the tooth and root as the teeth are forcibly shifted into place to correct misalignment. Having worn full train track braces for 4+ years on both my upper and lower teeth during this same age period (I was 12-17 years old) I can confirm that wearing braces hurts for days after each monthly adjustment as your orthodontist tightens them to further pull the teeth straight inline. It’s a constant aching pain that is quite noticeable and while you can deal with it, it’s not particularly pleasant for several days after tightening.

While orthodontic work is of course done by a qualified professional, it still puts significant pressure on your teeth. Biting your nails puts further stress on your teeth down to the root and this research shows that ARR tends to be worse among nail biters.

While I still have some memory of my very first orthodontic appointment to discuss braces and actually remember sitting in the chair speaking with my orthodontist along with my mum, I don’t specifically remember if side effects like ARR were ever discussed.

Root Resorption And Nail Biting

1983 research from Europe shows that in a group of 340 boys and girls aged 13-15 who had braces where 45% of the respondents bit their nails, root resorption was significantly higher among the nail biters:

The apical root resorption index was significantly higher in the nailbiters before (P<0.01) and after (P<0.001) orthodontic treatment.

Lars Odenrick, Viveca Brattström, The effect of nailbiting on root resorption during orthodontic treatment, European Journal of Orthodontics, Volume 5, Issue 3, August 1983, Pages 185–188, https://doi.org/10.1093/ejo/5.3.185

The research thus showed that nail biters with braces were at greater risk of root resorption than were those with braces who didn’t bite their nails.

Conclusion

• Root resorption refers to damage to the root of the tooth – a shortening of it – due to external factor like wearing braces, nail biting and bleaching of teeth among others.
• Brace wearers are more likely to suffer from ARR than non-brace wearers and if you bite your nails, you’re even more likely to suffer from ARR.
• Nail biting can additionally hurt orthodontic treatment progress and may require you to increase the time and thus cost of treatment as a result.