A tongue bite can be quite aggravating since there are an incredible number of sensory nerves in the this area of the body. However, people do this for a number of reasons but because there are a large number of reasons, it can often be hard to diagnose the cause. Obviously, patients with epilepsy often bite into their tongues during seizures. However, there are lots of less obvious reasons for doing this.

           It is easy to tongue bite when there's an enlarged tongue. The tongue can't get out of the way when it's too big to fit into the mouth. Anything that enlarges the tongue will make it more difficult to avoid biting into the tongue. The tongue naturally enlarges to fill vacant areas of the mouth. Patients who have areas of missing teeth generally have tongue enlargement into the areas of the missing teeth.

          A mouthbreather can tongue bite. Patients who constantly keep their mouths open commonly have enlarged tongues. There are a great deal of causes for tongue enlargement due to glossitis which is an inflammation of the tongue. Patients with TMJ syndrome can also have tonge problems. These patients have a bad bite that forces the jaw joints into irritating positions when the teeth are placed together. People with TMJ problems sometimes rest their tongues between their teeth to avoid biting together and jamming their TMJ joints. Poorly fitting dentures shift around and make it difficult for the denture wearer to find a normal repeatable bite. This can lead to tongue biting. The same is true when there's a poorly aligned crooked teeth.

          The dentists of the Atlanta Dental Group PC are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. You're welcome to join our family of patients. They offer comprehensive dental services to their patients. If you tongue bite and wish to consult with Atlanta Family Dentist, Dr. Mark Allan Padolsky, call 404-874-7428. It's your first step in taking control of the problem.