Does Biting Your Cheek Cause Dental Problems
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Some dental implication of cheek biting include the following:
Dental Damage: Continuous cheek biting can put pressure on your teeth. This continuous pressure can result in micro fractures, chips or cracks in your teeth. Over time, this damage might necessitate dental treatments to restore the health and function of your natural teeth such as dental bonding, fillings, or even dental crowns.
Shift in Tooth Alignment: Habitual cheek biting over longer time periods can also affect the alignment of your teeth causing them to shift over. This repetitive movement of your teeth against your cheek can push them out of their natural position leading to potential malocclusion. This might require you to visit a dentist to correct this issue.
Excessive Bruxism: Cheek biting is often associated as a counterpart of bruxism – teeth grinding. Bruxism can lead to dental erosion, tooth sensitivity, enamel damage and even jaw pain. habitual cheek biting can exacerbate these issues, intensifying the impact of bruxism on your dental health.
Prevention And Management
Cheek biting is often done unconsciously when turned into a habit. However, there are several ways you can overcome this issue and prevent local dental damage caused by it. Some prevention and management techniques include:
Awareness and Mindfulness
The first step towards avoiding cheek biting is to become more aware when you are doing it. Pay attention to moments which trigger cheek biting. In order to be mindful, you can practice relaxing and stress reduction techniques to minimize the occurrences of cheek biting.
Mouthguards
If cheek biting is an uncontrollable activity for you which you can’t resist at all, mouthguards can help you against it. You can consult a dentist to create a custom mouthguard or splints to help. These devices act as a buffer between your teeth and cheek preventing direct contact and reducing the likelihood of potential damage caused by clenching and grinding.
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Final Words
Compulsive cheek biting can be overcome through practicing mindfulness and mouthguards. However, if cheek biting has caused you extensive dental or gum damage, Ace Dental Texas can provide you with professional care and assistance. Dial us at (833) 777 – 7ACE for booking an appointment. You can visit our website to look for our offices near you!