HI, this sounds weird but my almost 5 year old son has been on and off for a few days now complaining that the inside of his cheeks are itchy/hurt -he gets really worked up and cries most of the time when it happens, it's especially bad when I brush his teeth and at night. He says if he tries to scratch it it makes it worse. I looked all around, didn't see anything except bite marks, presumably from him trying to 'scratch' with his teeth...We have a Dr. appt. for Monday, but I am wondering if anyone else has any kind of experience with this and could shed some light on what it may be and how to fix it. He won't take Motrin and I don't know what else to do besides try to comfort him when he cries about it. Thanks in advance for any responses.
Thanks everyone - still going to the dr. on Monday and I am going to try a new toothpaste (just water for now but will switch to an all natural one as soon as I can get to the store to buy it). I am also going to try the bendaryl/mylanta mix today. I have definitely caught him 'chewing on nothing' several times in the past few weeks, so he may just be doing this to himself...I have explained every way I can that he is making it wirse and it won't heal, etc. but he says he can't help it. I appreciate all the advice!
The first thing I thought was maybe his 5 year molars are coming in, but that wouldn't cause itching. It almost sounds alergy related. Maybe he has eaten something or come in contact with something that he is alergic to. Try some benedryl to see how that helps. Good luck!!!
Hi, my son is 13 and also chews the inside of his mouth. He has been diagnosed with tourettes syndrome (tics) at a young age. Your child's chewing can be due to stress, anxiety, nervousness etc. I'm not sure what the doctor will say, but if I were you I would buy "PLACKERS" GRIND-NO-MORE, they are used for night time grinding. However, when my son first started chewing his mouth I went crazy trying to find things that would help him. These are perfect!! He wears it 24/7 and it helps prevent his chewing, and nobody can tell he's wearing it. They are disposable, so he replaces very 3 days (of course cleaning daily). If it is too big, simple put in boiling water for about 3-5 seconds and it will shrink to fit a smaller mouth.
Hope this helps!!
It's a virus most likely. It could be hand foot and mouth disease or some other herpes type virus. Very common in children. Part of building the immune system. Have him swish a mixture of Benydryl and Maalox or Milk of Magnesia (equal parts) and spit out. It takes the pain away.
You can have him hold an ice pack on his cheek- it is a safe way to calm things down and gives him something he can do about it.
I'd check with the international Chiropractic Pediatric Assn as it could be the result of his cranial bones being mis aligned.
best, k
He is probably biting the inside of his cheeks, on accident of course, when he eats or at some other time. The itching might be just the word he uses to describe it and it may not actually itch but when things are healing they tend to itch so that might be what he is experiencing. My kids bite their cheeks when they eat and it hurts when you brush their teeth b/c the bristles are poking the sores. It would also hurt more at night b/c that is when they are settling down and not keeping as busy so he would notice it more at that time. Thats all I can offer as it relates to my experience. My kids know that it is going to hurt and they just get over it so I don't have any advice on a treatment per se. Good luck.
some people are allergic to toothpaste. Maybe he is. My brother took about 37 years to get that bad, but it happens. Perhaps your child's mouth is more sensitve. I use Weleda's children's tooth gel.
i would think maybe it's the toothpaste? there's a specific type that does this to me. i think its colgate. i brush my teeth and my whole mouth starts burning and feels like i get a rash and it stays this way for a while. i would suggest changing the toothpaste and seeing if that's it.
I wonder if he has a canker sore on the inside of his cheek. A canker sore is from a type herpes virus, a lot of us carry this kind of herpes virus that cause canker sores and it spreads easily in families from sharing glasses or kissing and such...ask your doctor on Monday about it. It's nothing to worry about and it's not the same kind of herpes as the STD.
I know when I get canker sores in my mouth they itch and are bothered by brushing my teeth and toothpaste. They can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to clear up and go away. Sometimes a mixture of baking soda ad water (mixed as a paste) rubbed in it will help, so will salt water.
Hope this helps, and again, it's nothing to worry about...they will go away. Good luck!
try having him rinse his mouth with warm salt water...
My daughter was complaining off and on too around the age of 4 that the insides of her cheeks hurt- especially upon waking up. We found out that she grinds her teeth while she is sleeping (as does my husband) and it was causing sores inside her cheeks where her teeth were rubbing/biting the insides of her mouth. Her pediatrician suggested a mixture of 1 part Benadryl to 1 part Mylanta mixed well (or shaken) and stored in the refrigerator. Give 1 1/2 tsp to swish and spit or apply to sore area with a q-tip. We did the q-tip method and it worked great!!! Hope this helps.
He may have an allergy to an ingreedient in the toothpaste.
If it happens more often when you are brushing his teeth he may be allergic to something in the toothpaste that you use. You can get his teeth just say clean without toothpaste, (I used to work for a pediatric dentist) so I would try brushing with just water until you go to the dentist on Mon. Also try giving him benedryl it will help with the itch and if it is an allergy it will really help. Hope he feels better soon. =)
