Tongue-biting with oral lichen planus

@lcr - yes! And my inner cheek, too! Most aggravating! Haven’t found a solution yet, though.

@rashida , @lcr Me too! So weird. So painful, and the result is often yet another new and painful lesion.

Have you spoken to your doctor(s) about it? Any idea how to make it stop? I was on a muscle relaxant for two weeks; not sure it did much but I did sleep a lot more those two weeks than normal! Any tips that have worked for you?

@artist01 - because we end up biting the same area again and again … I wonder why! I used to bite my cheek or tongue when I chewed gum too - which is why I don’t chew gum anymore! 😀

@lcr - my dentist recommended a mouth guard because I think it’s due to misaligned upper and lower teeth (mouth guard also recommended for bruxism), but that is good only during the night - not something I could wear during the day. Strangely enough, although I have a very dry mouth, if I keep anything in my mouth for more than a minute my mouth fills with saliva and I am afraid I will start drooling (without even a thought of anything worth drooling over! 😂) and that’s something that puts me off the idea. lol.

@rashida, @lcr I had the very same experience as you, @rashida, regarding chewing gum! I was almost addicted to it at one short period when I used it to alleviate stress. Chewing gum really seemed to help. I finally had to STOP, due to constantly having those awful, and painful, incidents of accidently biting my tongue or inner cheek. It was a very difficult habit to break at the time too, because of ongoing anxiety I was experiencing. I'd been fitted with an expensive oral appliance by my dentist, but I've forsaken it because it's very ill- fitting. No refund of the $500 by the dentist either! I've had other oral appliances over the years that worked quite well though, so @lcr, please don't hesitate to give it a try. I wore it during quiet alone times and at night for relief of TMJ and bruxism. No drooling either! Lol. And if you're alone, who really cares?
Good luck! Laurie

The drooling will stop once you wear the mouthguard for a time. It is a natural response. For dry mouth, make sure you use biotene, xylitol or Oral B dry mouthwash. Brush twice daily, use a waterpik to keep gums healthy.. Dry mouth often leads to dental and gum issues.

My plastic mouthguard needs to be warmed in water a few minutes before putting it in. Wondering if yours is the same? Return to the dentist to correct the areas where it is rubbing. Mouthguards really help prevent cracked teeth as you age.

I have had problems with biting my tongue and side of cheeks for years, also had a dentist make a guard, it was to ridged and hard and uncomfortable, couldn't use. I started buying the rubber guards that children use for protection when playing sports, I followed the instruction, and made them comfortable to wear at night, because that is the only time I need them. I have used them for over 15 years, and have only occasional had a problem,
at that time I throw that one out and make a new one. I don't know what I would do without using them. Hope this might help you, as I know it can be
very painful.

@lcr Your episodes of tongue biting sound very strange. Have you experienced them for a long time or actually hurt yourself? What does your doctor say about the tongue biting? I agree with the other members who recommends mouth guards, but only after you have had a good checkup with your doctor.
You also say that you have OLP, oral lichen planus. Is it well controlled? Does your doctor see any connection between the OLP and tongue biting?