People bite their cheeks for many reasons, maybe because of mental health conditions or minor accidents. 

Chewing carelessly or talking while consuming foods can often result in cheek biting accidentally and cause inflammation or injury in the area of the bite.

Regular cheek biting that occurs accidentally must need to be discussed with a dentist. Misaligned teeth or dental implants is also a problem of cheek biting symptoms.

Some people bite their cheek during the night. This is a critical problem that requires proper medical attention. 

This type of disorder is called body-focused repetitive disorders. Some of the other problems which are related to this disorder are nail-biting, lip biting, and hair-pulling.

Causes

Research says it may occur due to genetic factors. On the other hand, further research is going on to find a particular gene that plays a role in body-focused repetitive behavior disorder. If the research is successful, it will be easy to diagnose and treat these problems in the future. 

Some of the other factors that include emotions, environmental factors, and stress.

Cheek biting types:

Periodic accidental cheek biting

If you accidentally bite your cheek occasionally it causes canker sores, it is not a big problem.

Regular accidental cheek biting

If the accidental bite occurs regularly, your teeth may be improperly aligned or maybe some problem with your jaw. You must seek dentist advice, and he may suggest dental braces.

Cheek biting while sleeping

If you bite your cheek while sleeping, your dentist may prefer a soft guard to avoid direct contact of teeth with the cheek.

Habitual cheek biting

This is a semiconscious activity and can be replaced with some other less damaging behavior.

BFRD(Body-focused repetitive disorder)

This is excessive biting of the cheek, which goes on even after efforts to prevent.

Complications

Biting cheek repeatedly causes the area of bite to become scarred, paler, and thick than the tissues around them. The affected areas may get inflamed sometimes with purple spots. 

Irregular cheek lining makes the person’s desire to biting continuously in the spot to create a smooth surface.

Some severe cases of cheeks may be found with eroded tissue.

Some people stop participating in social activities to avoid others who observe their behaviors. This creates shyness, less self-esteem, and makes them feel ashamed of themselves.

How to stop?

Regular cheek biting needs dentists’ advice to check whether the implants are properly fixed or teeth are aligned properly. A mouthguard will be prescribed by the dentist if necessary or to wait until the tissue gets completely healed.

-Some simple techniques which worked fine for some peoples include:

-Sugarless chewing gum to replace cheek biting.

-Taking an immediate deep breath when the thought of biting cheek arises.

-Finding how you get this habit and replacing it with alternative solutions.

-Other therapies include

-CBT – Cognitive behavioral therapy

-Commitment and acceptance therapy

-Habit reversal training

-Reducing stress levels

-Hypnosis

-Meditation

-DBT – Dialectical behavioral therapy

-Comprehensive behavioral treatment

-Medications

Once you identify the consequences of cheek bite, you can know how to effectively address the behavior, whether you are visiting a dentist, seeing a psychologist, or starting a self-directed plan.

Mouth ulcers may look tiny in their appearance, but the pain and discomfort they cause is huge. They make it difficult for the person to drink, eat, or even speak. Within one to two weeks they will heal themselves, however following these natural home remedies will relieve the pain and boost up the healing process.

Saltwater rinse

Rinsing your mouth with salt water is one of the best treatments for mouth ulcers. Simply take a glass of water and add a tablespoon of salt in it. Swish it around your mouth for a few seconds and spit the water out. The antiseptic and anti-inflammatory property of saltwater quickly heals the canker sores.

Honey

This magical ingredient has a lot of health benefits and available easily too. They are great in healing the wound, which helps the ulcer also to heal quickly. Not only this, but it will also reduce the pain and decrease the reddening of the ulcer.

Turmeric paste

You would have already known about the healing properties of turmeric as it contains a compound called Curcumin. Take some turmeric and mix it with water. Make it like a thick paste and apply on the affected area. Rinse your mouth after ten to fifteen minutes with normal water. This will rapidly heals the wound and relieve the pain.

Licorice solution

Licorice is an excellent herb with some incredible benefits. When used regularly, it has a tendency to heal mouth ulcers. Licorice mouthwash can be used for treating canker sores. To see a better result you should use it at least 4 times a day.

Baking soda

Baking soda is widely used in dentistry for teeth whitening process. They are also a very good agent in healing mouth ulcers. Mix baking soda with water and make it like a paste. Apply it on the affected area and wait until it dries. Rinse your mouth with normal water. It neutralizes the ulcer acids and boosts the healing process.

Apple cider vinegar

Mix apple cider vinegar in the water and swish it around your mouth. The acid present in apple cider vinegar kills the bacteria and heals the wound effectively.

Chamomile Mouthwash

Chamomile is one of the famous herbs used to heal mouth ulcers. Prepare a strong tea using Chamomile and cool it. Swish the tea around your mouth about 3 to 4 times a day. The flavonoids present in the tea soothe the skin and heal the mouth ulcer quickly.

Orange juice

Vitamin C deficiency is one of the major reasons for mouth ulcers. Drink orange juice daily until the wound heals because it contains a rich amount of vitamin C which effectively heals the wound quickly.

Garlic

Garlic contains a component called allicin, which is antimicrobial in nature. Simply take a garlic clove and rub it on the wounded area. Rinse your mouth after thirty minutes with normal water. Repeating this two or three times a day treats infection effectively.

Try the above methods and wait for the result. If you still have a problem consult a dentist immediately and get the best solution.