Dental health is important for a variety of reasons, and the two that top my list are: When my teeth hurt, eating is painful and I like to eat. Dental work is expensive and I would rather spend my money on something fun. Aside from the proactive activities of brushing and flossing, there are two rather surprising things you should avoid to help keep your teeth in tip-top shape. Nail biting Read more

This self-grooming business is a little stressful for Winston here. Looking this immaculate takes a whole lot of primping and licking and — do you see that hair out of place? Oh hell no. He's gotta get the paws clean and pristine, he's just gotta. The pressure is overwhelming. So the nail biting helps ease the tension every now and again, no biggie. It's not a habit or anything . . . Read more

I used to have a boyfriend who, because he was so stressed from law school, couldn't stop biting his nails. So then he moved on to nibbling his knuckles. By the end of his first year, he had barely any nails left and puffy, swollen joints. Sound vaguely familiar? Lots of people bite their nails, whether absentmindedly or actively, and most chompers have told me that they just can't stop the Read more

One of the most common symptoms of stress, pathological nail biting troubles some people 6 million people worldwide. Or so estimates Alain-Raymond van Abbe the Dutch inventor of the "Preventer." Although his background is in marketing and not medicine, van Abbe describes himself as a "problem solver." His solution for nail biting, The Preventer, is essentially a molded mouth guard, worn on Read more