help for cheek-chewers?

[downtimeheals]

Hi...I have a friend who just told me today that he chews the inside of his cheeks.

He's particularly worried about this because he heard that due to the damage he does, he may be more vulnerable to mouth cancer from drinking/smoking.

Does anyone have any suggestions I could pass on to him? (Since I'm a picker, not a chewer, I don't have many ideas on the subject.)

Thanks!

[downtimeheals]

I've done a little research on the web now on what's called "cheek bite keratosis" and don't see any sites that link it to cancer, so that's good!

But I still would love to hear any thoughts or suggestions anyone might have on the topic...thanks!

[Elsie]

I have a friend who does the same thing, but I've never asked him about it, just see him doing it.

I figure if he's never asked me about all my scars, it's not fair for me to point out his cheek chewing. I would be interested to see any other responses though.

Sorry I'm no help.

[Carree]

I occasionally chew the inside of my cheeks, I don't do it as often as is used to but I would really get some canker sores....I remember days when I could hardley eat or talk. I don't have any advise on quitting but sometimes to help get rid of the sores I would take an aspirin and try to keep in on the sore as long as possible. It seems to take away the pain for awhile and then heal quicker.

[totalchaos]

I would definitely welcome any advice here - seems like my cheek chewing is getting worse, and that's something that's too easy to do in public, despite the "does that cheek taste good?" comments I sometimes get.

[scarreddaisy]

to reduce some pain if you use peroxide and dilute it with some water and swish it in your mouth it will help clean up your mouth and help it heal.. your mouth is full of bacteria so when you chew sooo mcuh it gets sore and infected like.. I used to chew my cheeks back in teh day until they would bleed.. also.. watch your toothpaste/mouthwash... i found out that i have to dilute my mouthwash cuz it is too strong for my mouth and kills all the tissue on teh sides of my mouth..making it more "chewable".. so check that .. the products you use may be too harsh..your mouth is the fastest place on your body to heal.. so if you can hold out for like 2-3 days... your mouths will be almost completely healed ... hope this helps

p.s. use oragel if the pain is really bad..

[tight jaw]

yup, i do this too. have been doing it for years. somehow it doesn't bother me as much as the head-picking. i do have a stiff jaw though. sometimes wonder if i'm going to get arthritis because of it. are there any very long time chewers out there? know of anyone this has happened to? i chew gum too.

[Still Chewing]

Well, I looked at all the stuff people wrote and I still don't see anything that well help me stop. I don't do it to where my mouth has sores or my jaws ache but my dentist notices everytime I go in. I know it's a nervous habit, maybe not worse than others but I haven't been able to stop and I have been doing it for years. Could use some help.

[OboeThumb]

I used to chew my cheeks a lot. The peroxide thing sounds like a great idea, thanks!
I think what helped me was getting my teeth straightened! It took 18 months, but I don't seem to have done any cheek-chewing since then. Maybe the uneven teeth or the crossbite I had was making mini-callouses inside my cheeks? Do any of you have orthodontic problems?

[spazcat911]

My whole family does this! We especially do it when we worry. And I realize that I must worry ALOT if I do it all the time. I feel kinda embarrassed when I realize I do it in public, but it is probably the least damaging of this type of problem.
What has helped me is to chew gum (as someone else mentioned in a previous post).
I buy sugar free gum and always have a piece in my mouth. I guess the question is: what is worse - chewing gum or biting your mouth? You cant exactly sit in a board meeting chewing gum and you definitely dont want to sit there chewing the insides of your mouth up. But I am still sticking (no pun intended) with gum being the better choice.

[Kat]

i feel so happy now - and i've only been here 10 mins - if that!

I have chewed my cheeks since i could walk - my mum used to threaten me with biting through my mouth and having big holes - but it didnt stop me. now i tend to do it only when worried - so she sits me down for a teen/adult chat - i also revert back to it when i try to stop picking.

Mouthwash makes it possible to eat AND talk - but it doesn't half sting - i end up dancing round the bathroom!!!

when i was really small, i used to use toothpaste to stop me chewing - i dont know why - i cant even remember if it worked!!!

Argh - all this talk of chewing is making my (already chewed) mouth itch!

[Krissa]

I do the same thing. I never realized that it was an issue. The skin picking is the worst for me. If I could get over that, I think I could deal with the cheek chewing. But then again, I don't think I do it excessively, more when I'm worried or deep in thought.

[Carol]

How about a mouth guard - the kind they use for teeth grinding? I know it's not too practical when you're in a meeting, but it could be used for traveling, home, etc.

What made me think of it is I'm whitening my teeth right now with Crest White strips and I can't chew!

[Kat]

hehehe

thing is, i go MAD if i dont chew! The only way i can stop my mouth getting sore, is to find something to chew!!!

[char]

I have just been reading about cheek chewing, Until just the other day I thought I was unique. I didn't realize that others had this bad habit. I have done it since I was a teenager and my mother was concerned and afraid it would cause mouth cancer. I stopped for a while but recently started again. I don't know what causes this, maybe it reminds us of breastfeeding or something subcontiious that we aren't aware of. I know it looks sick to do this. I want to stop. chewing gum helps. I don't bleed, just chew the soft tissue for some odd reason.