Are you someone who bites or sucks their lips when stressed, anxious, or focusing on a task? While it may seem like a harmless habit
, lip sucking can cause dental problems. Dr. Tad Morgan, a dentist, at Main Street Dentistry, shares how lip sucking can affect your oral health and offers tips on how to break the habit.
How Lip Sucking Affects Your Teeth
1. Crooked Teeth
Constant pressure from lip sucking can cause a drift in the position of your front teeth, leading to misalignment, malocclusion, and crooked teeth. Not only is this unattractive, but it can also cause chewing and speech problems in the future.
2. Chipped or Worn Teeth
Continuous contact between the lips and teeth can cause wear and tear on the enamel and lead to chipped or worn teeth. Ultimately, this can lead to painful tooth sensitivity and the need for extensive dental work to restore the teeth to their former shape and size.
3. Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ)
The temporomandibular joint is the joint that connects your jaw to the rest of your skull. Excessive lip sucking can put increased pressure on the temporomandibular joint, leading to a disorder known as TMJ. TMJ can cause jaw pain, headaches, and jaw locking or clicking sounds.
Tips from Dr. Tad Morgan for Breaking the Habit
Breaking a habit can be tough, but with Dr. Tad Morgan’s guidance, you can make the process a little easier. He recommends the following tips to help you stop lip sucking.
1. Keep Your Lips Moisturized
Applying lip balm or chapstick can help to keep your lips moisturized, reducing the chance that you’ll suck on them. Plus, it’ll make your lips look and feel better.
2. Keep Your Hands and/or Fingers Busy
To prevent lip sucking when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, Dr. Tad Morgan suggests finding other things to do with your hands or fingers. This can include knitting, playing with a stress ball, or even doodling on a piece of paper.
3. Practice Self-Awareness
A big part of breaking the lip sucking habit is being aware of when you’re doing it. Set a reminder on your phone or put a note on your mirror to remind yourself to be mindful of your actions. Once you’re aware that you’re engaging in the habit, try to consciously stop and redirect your attention to something else.
4. Take Time to Relax
Lip sucking is often done to combat stress or anxiety. To combat this, Dr. Tad Morgan suggests scheduling time for relaxation into your day. This can include going for a walk, practicing mindfulness meditation, or even taking a long, hot bath.
Conclusion
Lip sucking may not seem like a big deal, but it can cause a variety of dental issues. To keep your smile looking and feeling its best, it’s best to kick the habit. If you find it difficult to break the cycle, consulting with Dr. Tad Morgan can offer additional advice on how to quit lip sucking for good.