Why Do I Accidentally Maintain Biting the Inside of of My Cheek?

Turns out, repetitive cheek biting might not often be an accident it could position to an fundamental oral health difficulty you did not even know about.

Regardless of whether it is a tooth, jaw, or even psychological problem (did anyone say strain?), frequently biting the inside of your mouth can be prevented. We tapped two dentists right here to master extra about why cheek biting takes place, and whether or not it truly is a harmless (or dangerous) pattern.

1. You have morsicatio buccarum (aka, chronic cheek biting)

If nibbling the inside of your cheek is starting to be a habit, you might have morsicatio buccarum. “Morsicatio buccarum is the Latin phrase for chronic cheek biting, i.e., when folks habitually chew or chunk the insides of their cheeks,” states Chrystle Cu, DDS, a California-dependent dentist and founder of Cocofloss.

This serious condition can develop for several factors, claims Marina Gonchar, DMD, orthodontist and founder of Pores and skin to Smile. In accordance to Dr. Gonchar, these can contain the pursuing:

• A repetitive conduct owing to boredom, stress, or nervousness
• Misaligned teeth
• Irregularities in the oral tissues
• Sharp edges of chipped tooth, fillings, or crowns
• Discomfort of oral tissues as a result of inadequate-fitting appliances (like retainers or dentures)
• Teeth grinding

How to take care of it:

Lots of individuals with this ailment are not even informed of their biting habit. The 1st action is to acknowledge the issue, so you can be mindful about stopping it. Past this, treatment method relies upon on the fundamental bring about. For example, if a chipped tooth is reducing into your cheek, your dentist can mend it, so it no for a longer time catches the fleshy tissue within your mouth.

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2. It’s an accident

In your haste to inhale a quick breakfast just before perform, you chew with reckless abandon, and crunch, you acquire a chunk out of your cheek. Yep, that hurts. “Accidental cheek biting is extremely widespread, specifically if you are in a rush and not having to pay attention,” Dr. Gonchar adds. It usually comes about when you’re speaking or chewing (or although executing each at the identical time), Dr. Cu says.

How to handle it:

Accidental cheek biting is commonly no biggie. But if you chunk your cheek really hard sufficient, you could conclude up with a mouth ulcer, Dr. Gonchar. These sores are commonly harmless and consider a couple of times to heal. In the meantime, you may possibly need to be added thorough when chewing to steer clear of reopening the region. Sluggish, thorough chewing is also just a good normal rule it can assistance stop accidental cheek biting in the 1st put.

3.Your teeth aren’t aligned properly

Turns out, straight teeth really do not just build a stunning smile. They’re also significant for your oral wellbeing. Circumstance in position: they can reduce cheek biting.

“Chronic cheek biting is a lot more very likely if your chunk [i.e., the way your upper and lower teeth fit together] is misaligned,” Dr. Cu claims. Here’s why: “When the teeth do not meet up with properly, overlap way too much, or are crowded, the oral tissues can simply get caught in between the major and base enamel through plan tasks such as speaking or chewing,” Dr. Gonchar claims.

Misaligned teeth—also identified as malocclusion—can bring about other complications, as well. Indications can consist of the next, per Mount Sinai:

• Problem or distress when biting or chewing
• Speech issues (not often), which includes lisp
• Mouth respiratory (i.e., breathing through the mouth devoid of closing the lips)
• Inability to chunk into foodstuff properly

How to treat it:

If you’re tooth usually are not effectively aligned and they are causing complications, arrive at out to an orthodontist—a dentist who specializes in aligning your bite and straightening your teeth. They can choose a look at your enamel and advise remedies choices, which may possibly involve the adhering to, for each Mount Sinai:

• Standard or apparent braces (like Invisalign), and detachable retainers
• Eradicating 1 or far more teeth (if overcrowding is component of the difficulty)
• Repairing rough or irregular enamel (tooth may be modified down, reshaped, and bonded or capped)

4. It is a jaw difficulty

Jaw challenges can lead to tooth misalignment, as well, Dr. Gonchar says. As we know, when your tooth really do not fit accurately, you have a larger risk of cheek biting. On top rated of this, “significant jaw deviations are usually accompanied by a clenching and grinding pattern,” she states. Equally can consequence in persistent cheek biting.

Other feasible jaw difficulties include the next, for each Mount Sinai:

• Misalignment of jaws just after a serious harm
• Tumors of the mouth and jaw
• The jaws are misshapen
• Change in sizing in between the higher and decrease jaws

How to take care of it:

Your finest bet is to see an orthodontist for this, too. They could possibly recommend braces, a mouthguard (to shield your tooth if your grind them), or other dental appliances to handle your jaw issues. In significant circumstances, you might want surgical procedures to lengthen or shorten the jaw, in accordance to Mount Sinai.

5. It is psychological

Gnaw on your cheek when you are nervous? Stress or anxiety can exacerbate your cheek biting difficulty, Dr. Cu claims. In the course of durations of large stress or stress, cheek biting can provide as a coping system for some people today, Dr. Gonchar adds.

Cheek biting can also come to be a repetitive habits. And it can transpire with particular psychological well being ailments that require compulsive behaviors, Dr. Gonchar claims. Some examples she cites are:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): A situation that causes frequent unwanted views and obsessions that travel you to perform repetitive behaviors (i.e., compulsions).
• Human body-centered repetitive behaviors (BFRBs): Any self-grooming conduct that damages the body. The most frequent BFRBs are skin choosing, nail biting, and hair pulling, according to the Mayo Clinic.

How to treat it:

If pressure or panic is triggering your cheek biting, it is significant to acquire stock of your psychological wellbeing. You may perhaps want to open up up to a dependable wellness-treatment provider or therapist about how you’re experience. With time, observe, and therapy, medication, or a combination of both equally, you can transfer by means of unwanted thoughts, thoughts, and behaviors that contribute to cheek biting.

6. You have irregularities in the soft tissues of the mouth

When the fleshy insides of your cheek become swollen or inflamed, they can increase greater and get in the way when you’re talking or chewing. Translation: you are extra very likely to snag your tooth on these delicate tissues. Doable irregularities in the comfortable tissues of the mouth can be the subsequent, for every Dr. Gonchar:

• Inflammation from a clogged salivary duct
• Benign intraoral swellings and growths
• Malignant growths (in extremely exceptional occasions)

How to address it:

“In all eventualities, it is significant to see your dentist for evaluation and therapy,” Dr. Gonchar suggests. “Not only to do away with the chronic cheek biting, but also to guarantee the fundamental problem is not a trigger for issue.”

Is cheek biting destructive?

Although “occasional cheek biting can be annoying and painful,” it’s generally not hazardous in the long phrase, Dr. Cu states. “The gentle tissue inside of our mouths (aka, our oral mucosa) normally heals from damage inside of a couple of weeks,” she says.

But habitual cheek biting is terrible information. Recurring, recurrent, or persistent cheek biting may perhaps lead to ulcers, bleeding, bacterial infections, tissue scarring, and erosion, Dr. Gonchar states. These complications can hurt your oral and, possibly, in general health and fitness, she suggests. This is why it is really crucial to take care of and avert cheek biting (additional on this next).

How to stop or stop cheek biting

If you want to put an finish to your cheek biting routine, try these strategies from Dr. Gonchar and Dr. Cu:

• Be aware of the habit: Cheek biting is frequently subconscious. To kick the behavior, you should first spend attention to this repetitive behavior (in particular through situations of anxiety).
• Chew food carefully and gradually: This will assist keep away from accidental cheek biting all through meals.
• Retain superior oral cleanliness: Having care of your mouth ensures cheek biting isn’t a end result of dental challenges these as calcium buildup or broken fillings, crowns, or chipped enamel.
• Wear a mouthguard when you snooze: This is specially significant if you grind or clench your teeth at evening.
• Use powerful stress-management approaches: If you assume your cheek biting is pressure-similar, come across something to do to take it easy, like deep respiratory, meditation, or exercise.
• Try out chewing sugar-free gum: This will enable keep your mouth occupied, especially if cheek biting is recurring.
• Train your oral muscle groups and posture to do something else: For case in point, relaxation your tongue firmly on the roof of your mouth, holding your teeth touching ever-so-a little bit and your lips closed. In this placement, exercise respiratory in and out by means of your nose. Respiratory like this also has the additional advantage of growing nitric oxide output, in the long run aiding you get additional oxygen in your bloodstream.
• See an orthodontist: If cheek biting is connected to poor alignment of the teeth or jaw, orthodontic treatment method can assistance reduce any underlying structural problems.

When to see a dentist about persistent cheek biting

You do not will need a journey to the dentist for the occasional cheek biting incident. But if you frequently chunk your cheeks although pressured, having, or conversing, it may well be time to make a dental appointment. It’s really worth obtaining a dental experienced choose a search in your mouth if you have the pursuing signs, in accordance to Dr. Gonchar and Dr. Cu:

• The skin inside your cheeks is unpleasant or not healing, and the distress interferes with your everyday life
• You have constant damage to the inside of your mouth, like sores, inflammation, or bleeding
• You have issue speaking or ingesting

Your dentist will acquire a glimpse at your tooth and jaws to determine out if an underlying problem (like malocclusion) is at participate in. When they get a very good look—and you reveal your symptoms—they can enable appear up with a remedy prepare to ideally stop your cheek biting for very good (or at minimum, make it come about fewer usually).