Oral fixation is an abnormal and obsessive habit involving the mouth. It is the need to constantly chew, suck, or bite something. It also involves the unconscious and incessant desire to have anything in the mouth.
This is a psychological habit that is likely to have developed from infancy. Infants naturally suckle in the first few months of age. However, as they grow and develop, this should shift to normal sucking and oral habits. Late or non-development from suckling may result in an oral fixation. Aside from this, dependence on pacifiers or formula bottles may also indicate a danger in oral fixation in the future.
However, these are not the only reasons why one may develop an oral fixation. Read along to learn more about this disorder and the treatments recommended to prevent and stop it.
Cause of Oral Fixation
Several studies identify many possible causes of oral fixation in adults. But mostly, this is linked to unsolved needs or behaviours as an infant or child.
When a certain age is reached, specific stimuli encourage psychosexual needs for children. This helps to satisfy developmental behaviour.
During the oral stage of growth, infants or children depend on thumb sucking or feeding from a bottle or their mother. If the child’s needs are unmet or poorly managed at this stage, it may result in oral fixation. This may proceed into adulthood if proper intervention is not done.
Oral fixation in infants or children may occur if:
- Neglect is present, as in underfeeding or mistreatment
- Overdependence, as in overfeeding
Oral Fixation Personality
For adults, oral fixation expresses poor behaviours related to negative energy, pent-up anxiety, or uncontrolled personality traits.
- Oral dependency – this includes being overly talkative or indulging in anything related to the mouth, such as smoking, overeating
- Oral sadism – a snappy, sarcastic personality may also represent oral fixation
- Oral-aggressiveness – severe oral fixation may result in a person being verbally abusive, hostile, and exploitative
- Oral-receptiveness – passivity to anything related to eating, drinking, and other activities related to the mouth and lips is also a likely trait
Oral Fixation Habits
Some of the common ways that oral fixation manifests in children and adults include:
- Nail-biting or thumb sucking
These are two of the most common manifestations of oral fixation and may manifest very early in children who are likely to carry it over to adulthood. This represents the constant need to have something in the mouth.
- Overeating
Another way oral fixation may show in children and adults is through overeating. This is associated with neglect in food consumption in early life, whether under or overfeeding.
- Excessive alcohol consumption
Alcohol abuse is one of the damaging consequences of oral fixation. Due to the frequent need for oral stimulation, the individual may suffer from the tendency to drink often. It is also related to childhood neglect.
- Pica
Another dangerous risk of oral fixation is pica. This is an eating disorder in which a person consumes non-food items, satisfying their excessive oral needs. Simply put, they eat whatever they can get their hands on, whether it is grass, toys, or tissue paper.
Other possible risks of oral fixation include:
- Cigarette smoking
- Teeth grinding
- Licking objects
- Lip licking
- Chewing on fingers
Oral Fixation Risks
Depending on how the disorder manifests in the person, several repercussions may be seen in the mouth and oral health. Eventually, systemic symptoms may also arise and cause debilitating effects on the body.
- Misaligned teeth – prolonged thumbsucking may cause open bite and teeth spacing
- Cavities – excessive eating of sugary food and beverages can cause an increased risk for tooth decay
- Periodontal issues – teeth grinding applies heavy forces against the teeth, which also damages the periodontal ligament
- Gum recession – oral fixation patients who need to constantly have something in the mouth, such as a pen, may cause potential injury to the gums
- Bone loss – depending on how aggressive the habits are, gum recession may eventually cause irreversible damage to the bone
- TMJ disorder – incessant mouth movements may promote TMD (temporomandibular joint disorders). Symptoms may include headaches, jaw pains, clicking of the jaws
- Oral cancer – as an oral fixation, smoking may increase the risk for oral cancers. Studies also link periodontal disease, a likely outcome of oral fixation habits, with cancer
Oral Fixation Remedies
Most of the habits involved with oral fixation are often harmless unless the situation gets out of hand. So, to effectively provide a resolution for oral fixation, the first step is to recognize the problem. And no matter the age, it is best to work hand in hand with an expert to track the cause or trigger and determine a healthy coping strategy.
A common misconception is that forcing a child to stop the habit altogether will help, but usually, this does more bad than good. Consult with a child psychologist for better and healthier treatment. Such as, if the child likes to nail bite or chew on something, sugar-free gum may help as this keeps the mouth busy without any harmful effects.
Also, oral fixations rooted in anxiety may aptly be resolved with meditation and calming exercises. This is a good remedy for teens and adults. Experts suggest breathing exercises such as doing five breaths in and five breaths out whenever anxiety is felt.
Aside from these, the help of other healthcare professionals is recommended, especially for habits such as overeating and pica. Getting the patient back on track to good health is important to help them cope with and thrive against their bad oral habits.
How Our Dentists Can Help
At Sierra Dental, we are dedicated to providing holistic oral health and wellness care for our patients. So, if you or anyone you know may be suffering from oral fixation and its ill effects, give us a call so we can schedule you for a consult.