Chewing Gum Woes

[Arienette]

I have started chewing gum. Various reasons but I'm not a big chewer.

Mainly, to help concentrate when studying, stop smoking distraction and extra consideration when I'm with my GF.

However, I might have to stop soon which is annoying because I'm quite enjoying my gum at the moment, except for the injuries.

EVERY TIME I chew gum, I bite with my tongue, inside of lip or cheek so bad that it bleeds and swells up which means I then keep clashing between these fleshier ares and my teeth as they're swollen, meaning more bites and blood and pain....

anyone else get this?

I did have an abnormal "bite or jaw alignment" when I went orthodontist as a teen, so could be that...and my sticky out tooth has come out of perfect alignment since i broke my retainer many moons ago. I never minded so much because it still looks better and more discrete than pre-brace days.

But I'm wondering how many other people have this issue?

I think I might have to swap to hard mints that I can suck instead of chewing...

[Pi.R^2]

Eat tic tacs instead!

I had an issue with biting the inside of my cheek which I worked out seemed to originate from my embouchure when playing trumpet. Because it meant that my 'resting' bite was then aggravating the swelling of my cheek, I found started wearing my mouth guard (you can get them for if you grind your teeth when you sleep) to give the inside cheek a bit of a rest from being constantly irritated.

Does it only happen when you chew gum and not when you chew food?

[Sock]

Tic tacs or mints may be a better idea.

I'm fine with chewing gum but it happens often when im chewing food especially apples. Got a swollen cheek from apple yesterday. But i think in my case if i chewed slower it would help. Don't know if that would help you?

[Arienette]

Quote:

I found started wearing my mouth guard (you can get them for if you grind your teeth when you sleep) to give the inside cheek a bit of a rest from being constantly irritated.

I want one of these. I went to the dentist for one and they said they'd get back to me but nothing ever came of it. I grind my teeth a lot, and clench my jaw a lot.

It does sometimes happen with food, but mainly with gum. I think because a piece of gum is much smaller than anything else i chew when I put it in my mouth.

I tried chewing slower, but every now and then I would lose control and a powerful bite would just snap in my jaw and it's ok until I bite myself on one of those powerful snaps.

I did also used to play clarinet and sax, so that could also have contributed to scewiff bite i suppose.

[Pi.R^2]

I got my mouthguard on groupon for a couple of pounds and it was one that you heat up and then it becomes malleable and shapes itself to fit your mouth.

Clarinet was my second suspect for being the cause of mine!!