Have you ever bitten your own lip, tongue or inner cheek? You're definitely not alone because you will hear so many people say, "Hey, I bit my cheek last night while eating food". Although you may have bitten your cheek accidently, the pain can be severe at times. The good thing is that your cut will heal quite quickly, especially if you keep it clean, but you may still have to wait for at least a couple of days to recover. It may sometimes take a week as well, but you can definitely try the following ways to recover after biting inside of cheek.
Bit Inside of Cheek: How to Deal with It
Most people don't need any remedy at all, but you will also find people saying, "Hey, I bit my cheek and it has not healed fully even after a week." Here are few things you can try if you've accidently bit inside of cheek.
Clean the Bite: First thing you need to do after biting inside of cheek is to clean the bite properly. You should wash out your mouth using clean water, especially if you've been drinking or eating something. Keeping your wound clean will accelerate healing.
Stop the Bleeding: The best way to stop the bleeding is to apply some pressure on the bite. You can do it simply by using your tongue to cover and press the wound. If you've bitten the tip of your tongue, press it immediately to the roof of your mouth for some time.
Reduce Swelling: If you've bitten your cheek or tongue, you're quite likely to notice swelling after some time. It also means that the chances are you will bit it again while eating something. Applying an icepack to the wound site will definitely help – you may even consider eating some ice cream to reduce swelling. Don't use an ice pack for long or you will feel numbness. Be sure to apply intermittently for relief.
Take a Pain Killer: You can even consider taking a pain reliever if the pain is severe. Using ibuprofen or aspirin may help.
Rinse with Saline Water: Simply add a tablespoon of regular table salt in a cup of lukewarm water and use it to rinse your mouth, especially the wound site. Not only will this help relieve the pain, it will help reduce the swelling as well.
Don't Eat Hot Food: You should avoid eating anything that's hot for a few days until your wound has healed completely.
Taking these steps will definitely help, but you should prepare yourself to wait for the wound to heal. It will take a few days if the wound is a bit deep. Be sure not to poke your cut with your tongue and avoid eating on that side for a few days. You should go see your dentist though if the pain is still persisting after a day or two or you're noticing some strange odors coming from your wound. It is also good to consult your doctor if a fever develops, your bite resists healing, or it is inflamed even after 48 hours.
Bit Inside of Cheek: Why?
Most people bit inside of cheek while eating or drinking something. Sometimes, a person may bit inside of cheek due to a behavioral disorder. It may have something to do with an obsessive and compulsive reaction to anxiety and stress. This is usually true if you always end up biting your cheek when you're feeling anxious or stressed. The medical experts call it chronic cheek bite keratosis, and take it as a body-focused repetitive behavior quite like nail biting, hair pulling, and frequent blinking. This behavioral disorder usually starts affecting people in their late childhood and may last throughout adulthood.
Many experts believe that in today's world when it is not easy for anyone to escape the stress of daily life, it is obvious to see so many people bit inside of cheek as a solution to ease emotional overload. In some cases, people may start biting their cheeks out of boredom, and it often becomes so compulsive that the biter can hardly stop doing it.
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