Dear Parent(s),

I am a dental hygiene student at Indian Hills Community College, and recently had the opportunity to
observe your child while at the early childhood development center. Over the course of the day I
noticed your 4 year old son biting his nails multiple times. I wanted to inform you of the reasons you
should encourage your son to quit this habit, and also different ways to make that a reality.
As we know, hand washing helps to eliminate germs on the hand, however most 4 year olds are not
able to completely remove the bacteria on their skin, let alone under their nails. So when your son bites
his nails, he is ultimately consuming that bacteria. This bacteria can lead to your son contracting
diseases, such as the flu or most recent COVID-19. The bacteria can also lead to different gum diseases,
such as gingivitis. Although gingivitis is curable, it can lead to a more progressive disease known as
periodontal disease, which is irreversible. Nail biting can also lead to the gums wearing down, known as
recession, and even possibly chipped teeth.
There are a few tips I can give you that could possibly help eliminate this habit. First and foremost, if
there is anyone else around the child that also bites their nails, it would be good for them to quit as well.
Not only are they also susceptible to the effects I mentioned earlier, but they are also a role model for
the child, and could be part of the reason the child is doing this habit. This goes for any family members,
babysitters, or anything similar that is around the child often. It is also important that you mention to
anyone that will be watching the child that you are trying to get this habit stopped, so they can help
reach the goal.
Some more ideas are to simply distract your child, without even mentioning nail biting. Many times if
you mention the habit, you will simply have them focus more on it, leading them to do it even more.
Some ways to distract him could be by having him play with toys any time you catch him biting his nails,
or even coloring. Anything that will keep his hands busy is a good option! It is also a good idea that you
praise him every day he does without nail biting. And make the praising obvious and known to him. It is
also best to keep a routine, this will help keep him looking forward to what is going to happen next, and
not be bored.
I believe these will be great starting spots to help your son quit his habit! I will attach my email and
would love to help you in any way possibly as well as answer any questions!

Sincerely,

Indian Hills Dental Hygiene Student