While most people accept accidentally bitten the inside of their cheek earlier, some people seize with teeth their cheek compulsively over a long period. Chronic cheek biting is a torso-focused repetitive beliefs that has an association with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Cheek biting and the biting of other areas in the mouth affect 750 out of every 1 million people. Research suggests that this behavior is more common in females than in males.

Cheek biting can affect people of all ages, merely it may be more than likely in children. In an older survey from 2005, researchers showed that the prevalence of cheek and lip biting in children between the ages of 2 and 17 years in the The states was slightly nether 2%.

Keep reading to learn more near the causes and complications of cheek biting and when to see a doctor.

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A person may bite their cheek because of a minor accident or a mental health condition.

There are many reasons why people bite their cheek. Cheek biting can sometimes be a modest accident, just it may also be due to a mental wellness condition.

Careless chewing or talking while eating can sometimes result in someone biting their cheek accidentally. Accidental biting can cause injury and inflammation at the location of the bite.

If someone is regularly biting their cheek accidentally, they may wish to discuss information technology with a dentist. This symptom may exist due to the teeth or implants becoming misaligned in the oral cavity. People with temporomandibular disorders may also frequently bite their cheeks.

People who chronically bite their cheek may be experiencing a body-focused repetitive behavior. Cheek biting may also occur during sleep.

Chronic cheek biting is a more serious status that requires advisable medical attention. The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-five) includes it among obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.

Other torso-focused repetitive disorders include pilus pulling, nail biting, and lip bitter.

Unless the behavior is due to an sick-fitting dental device or some other dental problem, chronic cheek biting often has a psychological cause.

Some researchers retrieve that body-focused repetitive behaviors may take a genetic factor. If this is the case, having an immediate family member, such as a parent or sibling, with body-focused repetitive beliefs may increment a person'southward risk of the condition.

Researchers are currently trying to decide which genes may play a role in body-focused repetitive behaviors, which may help doctors diagnose and treat these behaviors in the future.

Many other factors may likewise contribute to a person developing chronic cheek bitter. These include stress, as well as emotional and environmental factors.

When someone repeatedly bites their cheek, the expanse can become thick, scarred, and paler than the surrounding tissue. Sometimes, the afflicted area may become inflamed with purple spots.

When the lining of the cheek becomes irregular, the person may have the desire to proceed biting the area to try to create a shine surface.

In more than astringent cases, dentists may notice eroded tissue in the cheek.

The complications of chronic cheek bitter are not only concrete. People who chronically bite their cheek may stop engaging in social activities to prevent others from observing the behavior.

Some people may experience shame, isolation, and low self-esteem in relation to their torso-focused repetitive behaviors, which can touch on their overall well-existence.

If a person is regularly biting their cheek, they may want to speak to a dentist to ensure that their teeth or implants remain properly aligned. If necessary, the dentist may advise a person to visit an orthodontist, who tin repair a misalignment to prevent regular cheek biting.

Sometimes a dentist volition prescribe a mouthguard to a person who regularly bites their cheek. A mouthguard tin can foreclose whatsoever further harm to the tissue and requite it a run a risk to heal. Dentists will recommend using the mouthguard until the tissue has completely healed.

People who chronically seize with teeth the within of their cheek should speak to a doctor about whether they have a torso-focused repetitive behavior.

A doctor may propose 1 of the following types of therapy:

  • cerebral behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • habit reversal training
  • comprehensive behavioral treatment
  • credence and commitment therapy
  • dialectical behavioral therapy, or DBT

Sometimes, doctors may recommend medication in addition to psychotherapy.

The about constructive handling that a person can receive is one that addresses both the behavior and the underlying cause. A therapist will aid a person find what is driving their demand to chew their cheeks and develop a program for managing the cause.

There is no robust evidence to show that special diets, electric stimulation, hypnosis, massage, or other practices are effective in treating body-focused repetitive behaviors.

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A person should speak to a medico if they are regularly biting their cheek by accident.

If a person is regularly biting their cheek by blow, they should consult a dentist. The dentist volition be able to decide the reason and help correct any misalignments.

Chronic cheek biting requires medical attention to address the cause of the behavior. Some people for whom cheek biting is a self-injurious behavior are unaware of the problem and may non seek medical attention.

The loved ones of a person with trunk-focused repetitive behaviors tin can maintain a supportive relationship with the individual and encourage them to speak with a doctor or therapist if they have concerns.

Cheek biting may occasionally be a harmless accident or the result of misaligned teeth, only many people feel chronic cheek biting. Chronic cheek bitter is a torso-focused repetitive behavior that relates to obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Doctors prescribe psychotherapy to aid people resolve chronic cheek bitter. Sometimes, people may besides need to take medications.

The complications of chronic cheek biting are not only physical. Many people feel shame and low self-esteem because of this behavior, which may atomic number 82 them to avoid social and career-related interests.

A therapist volition aim to treat both the chronic cheek biting and the underlying crusade of the behavior.