{"id":94,"date":"2018-06-08T16:31:05","date_gmt":"2018-06-08T16:31:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coastalpediatricdentistry.net\/blog\/?p=94"},"modified":"2025-02-24T12:14:48","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T12:14:48","slug":"pediatric-dentist-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coastalpediatricdentistry.net\/blog\/2018\/06\/pediatric-dentist-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Pediatric Dentist Advises Not to Let Your Kids Use Their Teeth as Tools"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AChildren are constantly learning how to navigate their world, and some tasks seem more difficult than others. Your child may be resourceful and decide to use their teeth to help them out in certain situations; however, it is important to teach children that teeth should only be used to chew food \u2013 and nothing else. Your pediatric dentist explains the dangers of using teeth as tools.<\/p>\n

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Cutting Items Other Than Food<\/h2>\n

It may not seem like a big deal to open a plastic bag or tear a soft string with your teeth; however, the pressure needed to properly cut items other than food may be greater than what your teeth are used to or are able to handle and could result in fractures or other damage to your teeth.<\/p>\n

Holding Things<\/h2>\n

If their hands are full, your child might think it\u2019s a good idea to hold onto a bag or other item with their teeth. This could cause them to fall and sustain facial injuries, not to mention putting undo pressure on their teeth. Two trips to the car to carry their items in is much better than an emergency trip to your pediatric dentist.<\/p>\n

Cracking Nuts or Biting into Other Hard Items<\/h2>\n

Attempting to crack nuts with your teeth is a good way to crack or fracture your tooth. Teach your children to use nutcrackers and cut other hard foods into smaller pieces to avoid fractures to their teeth.<\/p>\n

Opening Bottles<\/h2>\n

Whether your bottle is made of plastic or glass, it should never be opened with your teeth. This causes a host of problems such as:<\/p>\n