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Have you ever sat down to a meal, and instead of biting down into your food, it’s your cheek or tongue instead? Most of us have. While in most cases cheek bites aren’t a cause for major concern, they can still be quite painful and annoying. A majority of these only hurt for a short time, but others can be quite severe; even requiring stitches in some cases. For most of these, the resulting sore can be exactly like a canker sore, which should be taken seriously to prevent problems like infection. Your mouth produces hundreds of types of bacteria, and if there is an open sore in the mouth, they can gain direct access to your blood stream.
Causes of Cheek Bites
There are several causes for cheek bites, but in most cases it’s due to misaligned teeth. This may even cause it to become a chronic problem, in which case you should consult your dentist who may prescribe a mouth guard or possibly even braces to correct the alignment.
Treatment for Cheek Bites
The first and most important thing to do is to clean the area. Rinse your mouth out with plain water thoroughly first, and then use an antibacterial mouthwash. (Preferably one without harmful ingredients like alcohol) It may hurt to brush your teeth if the brush gets close to where the bite occurred, but this cannot be used as an excuse to not maintain proper oral hygiene, as it is most important at this time to prevent infection.
There are a few options for dealing with the pain that can linger from a cheek bite. Some people find relief from holding ice or cold water in their mouth to numb the affected area, while others prefer over the counter pain relievers like ibuprofen to ease the discomfort. A better, all natural option that has gained popularity recently is peppermint oil, which in addition to having antibacterial properties, has also been shown to relieve pain. An all natural oil like this is also a good option because an oils natural property is to absorb into soft tissues like those of the mouth. This will not only help relieve the pain, but it will last longer because it doesn’t wash away.
Some dental products like conventional toothpaste and mouthwash contain harmful ingredients that can cause further irritation of sores from cheek bites, or prevent them from healing in a timely manner. Be wary of what you choose to put in your mouth in this time of healing to ensure that you don’t suffer from further complications from infection.
Did it ever occur to you that the least expensive and painful option might be found in nature? Why not try a great product that provides natural relief?
