From opening bottles to tearing Sellotape—Study reveals hazardous uses of teeth

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 12 June 2019

share

save

RUGBY, UK/AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: According to the findings of a new study, most people do not just use their teeth for eating. The research by the Oral Health Foundation and Philips, as part of National Smile Month, found that 65 per cent of respondents frequently put their oral health at risk by using their teeth as a multi-tool.

The most common misuse of teeth is tearing Sellotape—more than four in ten admitted doing this regularly. More than a quarter bite their nails, and over a fifth use their teeth to carry things when their hands are full. Other popular uses include taking tags out of clothing (20 per cent), chewing pens and pencils (16 per cent), opening bottles (9 per cent) and doing up zips (4 per cent).

Commenting on the findings, 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. Carter 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.”

“We should stick to using our teeth for what they were designed to do—chewing our food so that it’s 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,” he concluded.

More than four in five 18- to 35-year-olds in the study admitted to abusing their teeth by performing unusual tasks with them. This is significantly higher than the 70 per cent of 35- to 54-year-olds and the 54 per cent of over-55s who made this admission.

The results are part of National Smile Month, a UK-wide health campaign that promotes the benefits of a healthy smile.

Tags:

Related articles

News Fri. 4 October 2019

Teeth from victims of Irish famine reveal dietary insights

EDINBURGH, UK: The Great Irish Famine is something etched into European history. The impact of the famine has been well documented, and in a new study that ...

News Mon. 5 August 2019

Study reveals impact of dry mouth on quality of life

LONDON, UK: Though the exact number of people who suffer from xerostomia is unclear, some studies estimate that as many as one in five of the population ...

News Fri. 29 August 2014

Teeth reveal details of Richard III’s lifestyle

LEICESTER, UK: Isotope analysis of bone and tooth material from King Richard III has revealed previously unknown details of his early life and the change in...

News Thu. 19 July 2018

Study reveals hidden costs of persistent orofacial pain

NEWCASTLE, UK: Orofacial pain, which affects an estimated 7 per cent of the British population, is an issue caused by a group of conditions affecting the ...

News Tue. 24 February 2015

Study evaluates effect of fluoride on children’s teeth

BELFAST, UK: Aimed at reducing childhood caries levels in the region, the Northern Ireland Caries Prevention in Practice Trial (NIC-PIP) has been ...

News Fri. 14 June 2019

Primary teeth reveal unknown group of ancient people

CAMBRIDGE, UK: Scientists have recently found two primary teeth buried deep in a remote archaeological site in north-eastern Siberia. The discovery has ...

News Tue. 13 February 2018

Study reveals smokers unaware of when health issues could arise

GUILDFORD, UK: Many people still smoke despite warnings and information regarding the health-damaging consequences. In a new study researchers from the ...

News Mon. 6 October 2014

Barts study on severe periodontitis reveals looming crisis

LONDON, UK: Figures by the National Health Service indicate that at least one in 15 adults in the UK currently suffers from the most severe form of ...

News Fri. 9 November 2018

Study supports use of preventative antibiotic use in high-risk patients

SHEFFIELD, UK: Currently, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend that dentists should generally not use ...

News Fri. 25 August 2023

Mouthwash may reveal risk of cardiovascular disease

HAMILTON, Ontario, Canada: The link between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease is well established. However, most research in this area concerns older...

Education

Live webinar
Wed. 17 April 2024
3:00 pm UTC (London)

Mundtrockenheit: Was tun, wenn die Spucke wegbleibt?

Dr. Ralf Seltmann M.A.

Register now

1CE

Live webinar
Wed. 17 April 2024
5:00 pm UTC (London)

Parallelen zwischen Rauchstopp und Prävention in der Zahnmedizin

Dr. Alexander Nussbaum Head of Scientific & Medical Affairs, Philip Morris GmbH, Dr. Björn Eggert

Register now

1CE

Live webinar
Wed. 17 April 2024
11:00 pm UTC (London)

Consideraciones y cuidados en la rehabilitación: ¿Cómo escoger el aditamento?

Dra. Gabriella Peñarrieta Juanito

Register now

Live webinar
Thu. 18 April 2024
4:00 pm UTC (London)

Treatment approaches of advanced periodontal diseases in our daily clinical practice

Dr. Cem Yıldız

Register now

Live webinar
Mon. 22 April 2024
3:00 pm UTC (London)

Precision in practice: Elevating clinical communication

Prof. Dr. Erdem Kilic, Prof. Dr. Kerem Kilic

Register now

Live webinar
Tue. 23 April 2024
6:00 pm UTC (London)

Growing your dental practice or DSO with better financial operations

Mr. Peter Yu

Register now

Live webinar
Wed. 24 April 2024
1:00 pm UTC (London)

YITI Lounge: Navigating modern implant dentistry—from prosthetic planning to digital verification, are we there yet?

Dr. Yin Ci Lee BDS (PIDC), MFDS RCS, DClinDent Prosthodontics, Dr. Ghida Lawand BDS, MSc, Dr. Oon Take Yeoh, Dr. Edward Chaoho Chien DDS, DScD

Register now