Restrict Your Chewing To One Side Of Your Mouth When You Face These Issues

When you chew your food, you normally want to do so evenly between both sides of your mouth. However, there can be times that it's advantageous to restrict your chewing to either the left or the right side for a short amount of time. If you chew on one side for too long, you may develop muscle pain on that side and, over time, you could even wear down these teeth — resulting in an uneven bite. Speak to your dentist if you have an issue that is leading you to frequently chew your food on just one side of your mouth in scenarios such as the following.

Tooth Sensitivity

A sensitive tooth can be an early warning sign that something is wrong, but it's also possible for a tooth to be sensitive for a short amount of time without there being a problem. While you should see your family dentist if dental sensitivity is a prolonged issue, you may find that giving a specific tooth a bit of a rest by chewing your food on the opposite side of your mouth can be a short-term solution. For example, if you find that biting food causes an irritating feeling in a tooth on the left side, consider chewing on the right side for a bit.

Gum Injury

A serious gum injury should always compel you to see dental care, but there can be times that you hurt your gum and the injury heals in a short amount of time. For example, if you were to poke your gum with a fork or even burn it with hot food, this is an issue that will be sore for a bit of time. If you chew food on that side of your mouth, it may aggravate the injury and slow down the healing process while also being uncomfortable. This is a good time to concentrate your chewing to the other side of your mouth. Soon enough, you'll be able to resume chewing normally.

Recent Dental Work

If you've just had some dental work done on one side of your mouth, you may find that chewing the next meal or two on the opposite side can be appealing. Depending on the extent of the procedure, one of your teeth could be a little sensitive or the gum could be irritated for a short amount of time. Changing how you chew can make your meals a little more pleasant. If you're noticing lingering issues related to the procedure, call your dentist to describe what you're experiencing.

Contact a business like Naas Family Dentistry for more information.