Is Biting Your Mouth a Common Eating Struggle?

[OAQfirst]

About every couple of days I manage somehow to bite my lips or tongue or the inside of my cheek. So my mouth is almost always sore. I don't know what my problem is, but now I'm wondering how typical this is. Do any of you have this much trouble eating?

Anyway, here's a tarsier eating a cricket. Looks like it's having better luck with a meal than I have.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuH48JW8XrU

 

[Moonbear]

That's not typical. Though, once I have bitten my cheek or lip, sometimes I'll bite the same place again because it's swollen and in the way. But, usually I only do that once and then am careful again.

If you seem to have a lot of trouble biting your lips or cheek often while eating, it may be time to see your dentist and see if you have a bite problem that needs correcting.

 

[drizzle]

fill your desk drawer with lollipops

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Seems like you may have an orthodontic problem. Have you been to a dentist and did they suggest seeing an orthodontist?

 

[zoobyshoe]

I went through about a year and a half of this a few years back. Every now and then I would have some sort of spasm of uncoordination and bite my tongue or cheek. That went away, but it changed to muscle spasms in my calves. (I had one three days ago at the swap meet: my left calf muscle clenched up and wouldn't relax. The pain was really bad. I massaged it for a minute or two until it finally did let go. It's still sore today though.) With the mouth thing, though, it was brief: my jaw just snapped shut on it's own whether my tongue or cheeks were ready or not.

 

[junglebeast]

One of my neighbors growing up had an issue where, every night after falling asleep, she would continually bite on her tongue. This gave her tongue permanent horizontal white stripes that lasted throughout the day, and we called her "zebra tongue"...and, being quite young at the time, I was slightly jealous.

I myself have a much more common problem: teeth grinding. Unconsciously, after I go to sleep, I grind my teeth (so I'm told). It makes a very loud disturbing sound that others can hear, but which I'm not aware of. What I am aware of is that my teeth are often extremely sharp, which causes the edges of my tongue to become very sensitive and raw sometimes, and also causes me to cut the interior of my cheeks. You might have the same problem.

The most unfortunate side effect of grinding is that gum recession follows as a result -- and gums never grow back. The only way to treat gum recession is by skin grafts. It also makes your teeth more brittle, and little pieces of them can sometimes chip off when eating food. Also not good.

 

[russ_watters]

I do it a lot, on and off. Often when I'm chewing gum. I always figured it had sometihing to do with sucking in a little bit while I eat - pulls my cheeks in between my teeth.

 

[lisab]

I went through about a year and a half of this a few years back. Every now and then I would have some sort of spasm of uncoordination and bite my tongue or cheek. That went away, but it changed to muscle spasms in my calves. (I had one three days ago at the swap meet: my left calf muscle clenched up and wouldn't relax. The pain was really bad. I massaged it for a minute or two until it finally did let go. It's still sore today though.) With the mouth thing, though, it was brief: my jaw just snapped shut on it's own whether my tongue or cheeks were ready or not.

OK, I've been meaning to post about this, and get a response from our medically-oriented PFers (e.g., Moonie!).

Someone told me once that when I get a muscle cramp or tic, just pinch my upper lip between my nose and mouth, along that ridge that's there. It might take several pinches, move around a bit, up and down that ridge. Muscle cramps and tics go away, almost immediately.

And you don't have to think that it will work, for it to really work. It really works for me...does anyone know why?

Sorry for the temporary hijack...

Re: mouth bites. Yes, that used to happen to me when I was young. My dental hygienist often comments on how pointy and sharp my teeth are, for my age ( does she have to add that phrase?). It's because I grew up drinking water with fluoride, she says. Did you, QAQ?

Also, I find if I chew slower it really helps. Just eat slower. Or were you raised by wolves, like I was ?

 

[OAQfirst]

I have seen a dentist, though I neglected to mention it. He did note something about the shape of my mouth (and how quickly I passed out under the gas). I think either my mouth is too small for my jaw and tongue or the other way around. Maybe I'll start a support group.

Or a club.

 

[OAQfirst]

Re: mouth bites. Yes, that used to happen to me when I was young. My dental hygienist often comments on how pointy and sharp my teeth are, for my age ( does she have to add that phrase?). It's because I grew up drinking water with fluoride, she says. Did you, QAQ?

Also, I find if I chew slower it really helps. Just eat slower. Or were you raised by wolves, like I was ?

Dunno about the flouride. But I do chew fast. I'll see about calming that down.

 

[lisab]

Dunno about the flouride. But I do chew fast. I'll see about calming that down.

OK, and I'll join your club .

 

[OAQfirst]

I do it a lot, on and off. Often when I'm chewing gum. I always figured it had sometihing to do with sucking in a little bit while I eat - pulls my cheeks in between my teeth.

I glad it's not just me, then. Conversely, it's also unfortunate this is the case.

 

[OAQfirst]

OK, and I'll join your club .

Now we need a name. Mouthbusters?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Someone told me once that when I get a muscle cramp or tic, just pinch my upper lip between my nose and mouth, along that ridge that's there. It might take several pinches, move around a bit, up and down that ridge. Muscle cramps and tics go away, almost immediately.

I've never heard this, but I'll try it next time.

 

[lisab]

Now we need a name. Mouthbusters?

I like it!

 

[Moonbear]

OK, I've been meaning to post about this, and get a response from our medically-oriented PFers (e.g., Moonie!).

Someone told me once that when I get a muscle cramp or tic, just pinch my upper lip between my nose and mouth, along that ridge that's there. It might take several pinches, move around a bit, up and down that ridge. Muscle cramps and tics go away, almost immediately.

And you don't have to think that it will work, for it to really work. It really works for me...does anyone know why?

Maybe because most muscle cramps don't last that long anyway and giving yourself something else to do for a few moments distracts you enough to let the muscle relax? There's nothing else that would connect your upper lip to anything beyond other parts of your face and a couple of upper teeth.

 

[Moonbear]

One of my neighbors growing up had an issue where, every night after falling asleep, she would continually bite on her tongue. This gave her tongue permanent horizontal white stripes that lasted throughout the day, and we called her "zebra tongue"...and, being quite young at the time, I was slightly jealous.

I myself have a much more common problem: teeth grinding. Unconsciously, after I go to sleep, I grind my teeth (so I'm told). It makes a very loud disturbing sound that others can hear, but which I'm not aware of. What I am aware of is that my teeth are often extremely sharp, which causes the edges of my tongue to become very sensitive and raw sometimes, and also causes me to cut the interior of my cheeks. You might have the same problem.

The most unfortunate side effect of grinding is that gum recession follows as a result -- and gums never grow back. The only way to treat gum recession is by skin grafts. It also makes your teeth more brittle, and little pieces of them can sometimes chip off when eating food. Also not good.

Do you wear a bite guard while sleeping? The dentist can give you an expensive one, or you can go to the local sporting goods store and get one there that's just as good but a lot cheaper...get the kind that can be molded to fit your mouth.

For a while, I was clenching my teeth a lot when stressed, and aside from worrying about my teeth getting damaged, it was giving me headaches. That's what I got was one of those bite guards from the sporting goods store and it did a good job of cushioning my teeth when I slept.

 

[lisab]

Maybe because most muscle cramps don't last that long anyway and giving yourself something else to do for a few moments distracts you enough to let the muscle relax? There's nothing else that would connect your upper lip to anything beyond other parts of your face and a couple of upper teeth.

A little more info...when I press this same spot when a sneeze is coming on, it stops the sneeze immediately. So it seems to stop some involuntary muscle contractions...if that's what a sneeze is (wouldn't it be?).

 

[Moonbear]

A little more info...when I press this same spot when a sneeze is coming on, it stops the sneeze immediately. So it seems to stop some involuntary muscle contractions...if that's what a sneeze is (wouldn't it be?).

Now, a sneeze might make some sense, since branches of the same nerve innervate the lip and nose. So, pinching the lip just might stave off the itchy nose feeling that leads to a sneeze.

I really think it's more likely a distraction technique for the muscle cramping. I notice for myself that I get muscle cramps when I tense a muscle too much or the wrong way, especially if it's already fatigued, and that sends it into spasm. It's really hard to try to then relax it again when you're in pain, but that's usually what I need to try to do to stop the cramp is to move that limb in a way that allows the muscle to relax again. If something could get you to focus on something else other than the muscle in spasm, it could have the same effect.

 

[OAQfirst]

I had some muscle cramps that threw me on the floor. Someone told me to monitor my water and my potassium intake. I saw I wasn't getting enough and after I increased those I haven't had those cramps since. And I'm talking years of pain.