People tend to chew on pen caps or pencils when studying or attending a meeting. While this might look like a random activity that stimulates thinking, it can cause damage to your teeth. Chewing on random things like pencils and pen caps can damage your teeth and cause several infections transmitted by bacteria.
Adverse Effects of Chewing Pencil or Pen Caps
Apart from the risk of swallowing the pen lid, plastic lids might have complex and sharp edges that can cut and cause infections in the mouth. Habitual chewing on pencils and other problematic substances can also cause your teeth to wear down. Additionally, it can cause the misalignment of your teeth depending on the jaw movement. Biting aggressively into pen caps and pencils can damage your jawbone, making it hard to move it comfortably.
Furthermore, putting random things like pencils in your mouth is not hygienic. It could have rolled on the floor, around the table, or been chewed on by another person. Depending on the environment, such tools will have bacteria and viruses that can survive on them for several weeks. For example, a cold virus can survive on a pen cap for over a week, with bacterial strains surviving for up to a month. Getting such harmful bacteria in your mouth is a recipe for disaster. You could suffer from serious ailments that put your health at significant risk. This is why chewing on a pencil or pen cap is not a good idea.
Take Good Care of Your Teeth
As much as biting down on a pen cap or pencil seems like an excellent way to stimulate ideas, it is not recommended for oral health. Apart from the risk of causing infections, biting into complex substances can fracture your teeth. In fact, research shows that people with a habit of chewing on pencils and pens tend to suffer the same dental problems as people who grind and clench their teeth.
If you habitually chew pen caps and pencils, you should come for a dental checkup to assess the damage it has done to your teeth. We will also guide you on the need to refrain from it. Contact our offices for an oral checkup.
People tend to chew on pen caps or pencils when studying or attending a meeting. While this might look like a random activity that stimulates thinking, it can cause damage to your teeth. Chewing on random things like pencils and pen caps can damage your teeth and cause several infections transmitted by bacteria.