Some people think cheek biting is just a bad habit but still harmless.
What if this “minor infraction“ leads to something serious related to your health? It can be a sign of dental issues or mental health conditions similar to OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder.
How to detect that you bite your cheeks?
Check the inner side of your cheeks for white scar lines, row sensitive mucosa
Stress/Anxiety.
Chronic cheek biting and chewing — scientifically known as morsicatio buccarum — is considered to be a body-focused repetitive behaviour (BFRB) similar to hair pulling (trichotillomania).
Inactivity/Boredom - Hard to believe but being bored can make you bite your cheeks
Misaligned teeth
Wrong bite
Missing teeth
Unfit denture
Teeth moving ( periodontal disease )TMJ (Temporomandibular joint disorder)
Types of cheek biting:
Periodic accidental cheek biting: It's not a cause to be a concern even if it results in canker sore
Regular accidental cheek biting: misaligned teeth or jaw condition could be the cause
Cheek biting while asleep: a night guard can fix this issue
BFRD: obsessive cheek biting that cannot be stopped despite attends.
Chronic habits can cause TMJ issues, headaches, teeth moving and oral cancer (because of continuous cheeks trauma) - visit a dentist.
If your dentist says that cheek biting is not related to dental issues then meditation, hypnosis, cognitive behavioural therapy and minimizing the stress levels can help.
If you would like to get a full dental analysis - Contact our expert team today.
Secondary source educational information gathered by the author.
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