Lots of people have bad habits that they’d love to break, some more serious than others. Some people often find themselves biting their cheek involuntarily, and worry that it could lead to some negative effects on their oral health down the line.
Biting your cheek accidentally can be annoying for sure, but is it actually bad for you? If you’re curious, here’s what you ought to know.
Is Cheek Biting Bad for Oral Health?
Cheek biting can be painful, but in terms of long-term health effects, there aren’t too many to worry about. If you bite your cheek occasionally, the worst you’ll get is a canker sore, which will fade after a few days.
If you bite your cheek habitually, you may cause sores or tear the mucus lining along your cheeks. This can cause more serious discomfort, but again, that’s probably the end of it.
Why Do People Bite Their Cheeks?
If you bite your cheek often and would like to stop, it may be a good idea to address some of the underlying issues that tend to lead to it. For example:
- Accidents: Most people bite their cheek on accident while distracted, when eating too fast, or while talking.
- Anxiety: Like nail biting, some people bite their cheek unconsciously when they’re nervous.
- Tooth Deflection: If your teeth, especially your wisdom teeth, are deflected towards the cheek, you could potentially bite it inadvertently.
- Psychological Ticks: Some people bite their cheek chronically as a kind of tick. This is known as a BFRB, or body-focused repetitive behavior.
How to Stop Biting Your Cheek?
Biting your cheek occasionally is actually normal, but if you do it often, it may warrant professional intervention.
If you think the problem has to do with your teeth, like with an alignment issue, you may want to talk to a dentist about orthodontics. You may also want to talk to a mental health professional if you think that the cheek biting problem may be due to anxiety.
About Our Practice
At Chardon Smile Center, we’re proud to be able to give patients of all ages the care they need to perfect their oral health. We know it can be a pain to drive all over town looking for a good dentist, which is why we offer so many incredible services in one convenient location. We also make use of the latest in oral medicine, to ensure each of those services is as good as it can be!
If you have any questions about cheek biting, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (440) 286-2474.