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Teeth Ain’t Tools: Why 4 out of 5 dentists recommend using a pocket knife

October 4, 2015

Next time your ‘non-knife’ friends question why you carry a knife, ask them to smile. If you can bear to look, you may notice worn down enamel and teeth that are out of alignment, chipped, fractured, or missing according to experts.

Teeth are meant to chew food NOT perform cutting tasks

Dentists report that many of their patients use their teeth to perform ‘odd jobs’. If your teeth are the only tool you’ve got, it may seem natural to open wrappers, packaging or cut through plastic sales tags with your choppers. Dentists say that your teeth were made to chew food and there are consequences when you use them to perform cutting tasks.

Jimmy Fallon’s broken tooth incident

Jimmy Fallon, host of the Tonight Show recently learned this the hard way:
“It’s one of those tubes .. you have to cut the end off,” NBC’s late night host recounted as a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres show. “I don’t have scissors or a knife so I just bite it off with my teeth .. and my tooth chips in half.”

Abrasions

The sharp edges of plastic can also cut or cause abrasions in your gums or mouth, which could increase your risk of developing painful infections.

You can buy a good pocket knife for under $50

So, remind your ‘non-knife’ friends if they want to keep a healthy mouth, their teeth looking great, and avoid a costly trip to the dentist – they can pick up a good pocket knife for under $50.

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