Seems, repetitive cheek biting might not at all times be an accident; it might level to an underlying oral health difficulty you did not even find out about.
Whether or not it is a tooth, jaw, and even psychological difficulty (did somebody say stress?), continually biting the within of your mouth will be prevented. We tapped two dentists right here to study extra about why cheek biting occurs, and whether or not it is a innocent (or dangerous) behavior.
1. You’ve got morsicatio buccarum (aka, continual cheek biting)
If nibbling the within of your cheek is changing into a behavior, you may need morsicatio buccarum. “Morsicatio buccarum is the Latin time period for continual cheek biting, i.e., when individuals habitually chew or chew the insides of their cheeks,” says Chrystle Cu, DDS, a California-based dentist and founding father of Cocofloss.
This continual situation can develop for a number of causes, says Marina Gonchar, DMD, orthodontist and founding father of Skin to Smile. In keeping with Dr. Gonchar, these can embrace the next:
- A repetitive habits attributable to boredom, stress, or anxiousness
- Misaligned tooth
- Irregularities within the oral tissues
- Sharp edges of chipped tooth, fillings, or crowns
- Irritation of oral tissues on account of poor-fitting home equipment (like retainers or dentures)
- Tooth grinding
Tips on how to deal with it:
Many individuals with this situation aren’t even conscious of their biting behavior. Step one is to acknowledge the difficulty, so that you will be aware about stopping it. Past this, therapy is determined by the underlying trigger. For instance, if a chipped tooth is slicing into your cheek, your dentist can restore it, so it now not catches the fleshy tissue inside your mouth.
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2. It’s an accident
In your haste to inhale a fast breakfast earlier than work, you chew with reckless abandon, and crunch, you are taking a bit out of your cheek. Yep, that hurts. “Unintended cheek biting is quite common, particularly in case you are in a rush and never paying consideration,” Dr. Gonchar provides. It often occurs once you’re speaking or chewing (or whereas doing each on the identical time), Dr. Cu says.
Tips on how to deal with it:
Unintended cheek biting is often no biggie. However in case you chew your cheek exhausting sufficient, you possibly can find yourself with a mouth ulcer, Dr. Gonchar. These sores are often innocent and take a number of days to heal. Within the meantime, you may have to be additional cautious when chewing to keep away from reopening the world. Sluggish, cautious chewing can be only a good basic rule; it might assist stop unintended cheek biting within the first place.
3.Your tooth aren’t aligned correctly
Seems, straight tooth don’t simply create a ravishing smile. They’re additionally necessary to your oral well being. Living proof: they will stop cheek biting.
“Persistent cheek biting is extra seemingly in case your chew [i.e., the way your upper and lower teeth fit together] is misaligned,” Dr. Cu says. Right here’s why: “When the tooth don’t meet correctly, overlap an excessive amount of, or are crowded, the oral tissues can simply get caught between the highest and backside tooth throughout routine duties resembling talking or chewing,” Dr. Gonchar says.
Misaligned tooth—additionally referred to as malocclusion—could cause different issues, too. Signs can embrace the next, per Mount Sinai:
- Issue or discomfort when biting or chewing
- Speech difficulties (not often), together with lisp
- Mouth respiratory (i.e., respiratory by means of the mouth with out closing the lips)
- Lack of ability to chew into meals accurately
Tips on how to deal with it:
If you happen to’re tooth aren’t correctly aligned and they’re inflicting issues, attain out to an orthodontist—a dentist who focuses on aligning your chew and straightening your tooth. They’ll check out your tooth and suggest remedies choices, which can embrace the next, per Mount Sinai:
- Common or clear braces (like Invisalign), and detachable retainers
- Eradicating a number of tooth (if overcrowding is a part of the issue)
- Repairing tough or irregular tooth (tooth could also be adjusted down, reshaped, and bonded or capped)
4. It’s a jaw difficulty
Jaw issues could cause tooth misalignment, too, Dr. Gonchar says. As we all know, when your tooth don’t match accurately, you may have a higher danger of cheek biting. On high of this, “vital jaw deviations are sometimes accompanied by a clenching and grinding behavior,” she says. Each may end up in continual cheek biting.
Different attainable jaw points embrace the next, per Mount Sinai:
- Misalignment of jaws after a extreme harm
- Tumors of the mouth and jaw
- The jaws are misshapen
- Distinction in dimension between the higher and decrease jaws
Tips on how to deal with it:
Your greatest wager is to see an orthodontist for this, too. They could suggest braces, a mouthguard (to guard your tooth in case your grind them), or different dental home equipment to handle your jaw issues. In extreme instances, you may want surgical procedure to elongate or shorten the jaw, based on Mount Sinai.
5. It’s psychological
Gnaw in your cheek once you’re nervous? Stress or anxiousness can exacerbate your cheek biting drawback, Dr. Cu says. In periods of excessive stress or anxiousness, cheek biting can function a coping mechanism for some individuals, Dr. Gonchar provides.
Cheek biting can even develop into a repetitive habits. And it might occur with sure psychological well being circumstances that contain compulsive behaviors, Dr. Gonchar says. Some examples she cites are:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): A situation that causes frequent undesirable ideas and obsessions that drive you to carry out repetitive behaviors (i.e., compulsions).
- Physique-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs): Any self-grooming habits that damages the physique. The commonest BFRBs are pores and skin selecting, nail biting, and hair pulling, based on the Mayo Clinic.
Tips on how to deal with it:
If stress or anxiousness is triggering your cheek biting, it’s necessary to take inventory of your psychological well being. It’s possible you’ll need to confide in a trusted health-care supplier or therapist about how you are feeling. With time, follow, and remedy, medicine, or a mixture of each, you possibly can transfer by means of undesirable ideas, emotions, and behaviors that contribute to cheek biting.
6. You’ve got irregularities within the smooth tissues of the mouth
When the fleshy insides of your cheek develop into swollen or infected, they will develop bigger and get in the best way once you’re speaking or chewing. Translation: you’re extra more likely to snag your tooth on these smooth tissues. Attainable irregularities within the smooth tissues of the mouth will be the next, per Dr. Gonchar:
- Swelling from a clogged salivary duct
- Benign intraoral swellings and growths
- Malignant growths (in very uncommon situations)
Tips on how to deal with it:
“In all situations, it is very important see your dentist for analysis and therapy,” Dr. Gonchar says. “Not solely to eradicate the continual cheek biting, but additionally to make sure the underlying situation just isn’t a trigger for concern.”
Is cheek biting dangerous?
Whereas “occasional cheek biting will be annoying and painful,” it’s often not dangerous in the long run, Dr. Cu says. “The smooth tissue inside our mouths (aka, our oral mucosa) sometimes heals from harm inside a few weeks,” she says.
However recurring cheek biting is unhealthy information. Repeated, frequent, or continual cheek biting might trigger ulcers, bleeding, infections, tissue scarring, and erosion, Dr. Gonchar says. These issues can harm your oral and, presumably, total well being, she says. This is the reason it is necessary to deal with and stop cheek biting (extra on this subsequent).
Tips on how to cease or stop cheek biting
If you wish to put an finish to your cheek biting behavior, attempt the following tips from Dr. Gonchar and Dr. Cu:
- Be aware of the behavior: Cheek biting is commonly unconscious. To kick the behavior, you need to first take note of this repetitive habits (particularly throughout instances of stress).
- Chew meals rigorously and slowly: This can assist keep away from unintended cheek biting throughout meals.
- Keep good oral hygiene: Taking good care of your mouth ensures cheek biting isn’t a results of dental points resembling calcium buildup or damaged fillings, crowns, or chipped tooth.
- Put on a mouthguard once you sleep: That is particularly necessary in case you grind or clench your tooth at evening.
- Use efficient stress-management strategies: If you happen to assume your cheek biting is stress-related, discover one thing to do to chill out, like deep respiratory, meditation, or train.
- Attempt chewing sugar-free gum: This can assist hold your mouth occupied, particularly if cheek biting is recurring.
- Practice your oral muscular tissues and posture to do one thing else: For instance, relaxation your tongue firmly on the roof of your mouth, protecting your tooth touching ever-so-slightly and your lips closed. On this place, follow respiratory out and in by means of your nostril. Respiratory like this additionally has the additional benefit of accelerating nitric oxide manufacturing, finally serving to you get extra oxygen in your bloodstream.
- See an orthodontist: If cheek biting is expounded to improper alignment of the tooth or jaw, orthodontic therapy can assist eradicate any underlying structural points.
When to see a dentist about continual cheek biting
You don’t want a visit to the dentist for the occasional cheek biting incident. However in case you repeatedly chew your cheeks whereas pressured, consuming, or speaking, it may be time to make a dental appointment. It’s value having a dental skilled have a look in your mouth when you’ve got the next signs, based on Dr. Gonchar and Dr. Cu:
- The pores and skin inside your cheeks is painful or not therapeutic, and the discomfort interferes along with your every day life
- You’ve got steady harm to the within of your mouth, like sores, irritation, or bleeding
- You’ve got problem talking or consuming
Your dentist will check out your tooth and jaws to determine if an underlying situation (like malocclusion) is at play. As soon as they get a very good look—and also you clarify your signs—they can assist give you a therapy plan to hopefully cease your cheek biting for good (or not less than, make it occur much less usually).
