From tearing off Sellotape to opening bottles and biting off tags on clothes: Survey reveals the alternative ways Britons use their teeth
- Two thirds of people use their teeth in ways other than for eating
- Popular uses include chewing pens and biting nails, but people also chew hair
- Dentists said doing so could damage teeth and ruin existing dental work
From tearing off Sellotape to opening bottles, dentists have revealed the alternative ways British people use their teeth.
Two in three people frequently use their nashers to perform tasks such as ripping out clothes tags or doing up zips.
The Oral Health Foundation, who conducted the survey, has warned against using our teeth for anything other than eating.
Chipping, breaking or destroying existing dental work could be the result, dentists said, and could land you with a hefty bill.
Dentists have revealed the alternative ways British people use their teeth
Two in three people frequently use our nashers to perform tasks other than eating
The most common misuse for our teeth is tearing Sellotape – more than four-in-ten (41 per cent) of us admit to doing this regularly.
People often use their mouths to carry things when their hands are full, with 22 per cent admitting to doing so.
Other popular uses include taking tags out of clothing (20 per cent) chewing pens and pencils (16 per cent) and biting nails (26 per cent).
Some of the more bizarre uses are doing up zips (four per cent), opening bottles (nine per cent) as well as opening hair grips and packets.
Chipping, breaking or destroying existing dental work could are the result, dentists said, and could land you with a hefty bill
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation said that while it may seem trivial, using our teeth as tools poses a considerable risk to our oral health.
He said: ‘Anything from opening bottles to chewing foreign objects can damage existing dental work or cause our teeth to crack.
‘There are also examples of teeth shifting out of place, chipping, and in some cases breaking, due to the pressure and strain.
‘Accidents are also more likely to happen which could result in invasive and expensive emergency dental work.’
Young adults are the biggest culprits when it comes to using teeth in improper ways.
More than four in five (85 per cent) 18 to 35-year-olds admit to abusing their teeth by performing unusual tasks with them.
This is significantly higher than 35 to 54-year-olds (70 per cent) and the over-55s (54 per cent).
Dr Cater said: ‘We should stick to using our teeth for what they were designed to do – chewing our food so that its more easily digestible.
‘Our teeth also help us to talk and make sounds. They also give our face its shape. Because of this, we shouldn’t be doing anything that could unnecessarily jeopardise them.’
Once damaged, a crown across a broken tooth would cost a whopping £269.30 on the NHS and up to £1,180 privately. Getting a tooth removed costs £62.10 on the NHS and £370 privately.
The survey, of 2,000 people, was conducted with Philips as part of a wider campaign to help change habits to improve health.
Dr Ben Atkins, dentist and trustee of the Oral Health Foundation, said having good teeth can improve wellbeing.
Dr Atkins said: ‘By adopting as few as three simple habits, we can dramatically improve the health of our mouth, and our quality of life.
‘Regularly visiting the dentist, brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, and reducing the amount and frequency of sugar in our diet, can transform our health for the better.’