5 harmful effects of chewing on one side

Chewing is a natural physiological action that helps grind food into small pieces and mix it well with saliva to aid digestion.

Chewing on one side when eating is a common habit among many people. This seems harmless but can be the cause of many dental, jaw and facial problems, and even affect the nervous system.

MSc.BS.CK1 Tran Van Hieu, Department of Gastroenterology, Military Hospital 175, Ho Chi Minh City, said that using one side of the jaw to chew, if done for a long time, can cause many specific harmful effects such as:

Face off

This habit leads to uneven development of the masseter muscle between the two sides. The chewing side of the jaw will enlarge, while the opposite side will shrink, causing facial imbalance. Long-term maintenance can change the jaw bone structure.

Temporomandibular joint disorder

An imbalance in chewing force increases pressure on the temporomandibular joint on the chewing side, causing symptoms such as joint pain, limited jaw movement, noise when chewing, headaches and earaches.

Uneven tooth wear

The uneven distribution of chewing force causes more wear on the teeth on the side that is used, while the side that is not in use is susceptible to plaque accumulation, leading to tooth decay, periodontitis, and tooth loss.

Digestive dysfunction

Chewing on one side reduces the efficiency of crushing food, increases the burden on the stomach and intestines, leading to digestive disorders such as bloating and indigestion.

Affects the nervous system

This habit causes an imbalance in the activity of the nerves and muscles in the face, leading to headaches due to muscle tension, sensory disorders and radiating pain.

According to Dr. Hieu, people who have the habit of chewing on one side should practice chewing evenly on both sides of the jaw. You can start by intentionally chewing on the side that is rarely used with soft foods to create a new habit.

If misaligned chewing is caused by dental diseases such as tooth decay, bite misalignment, tooth loss or jaw pain, the doctor will perform treatment such as fillings, orthodontics or dental restorations.

In severe cases such as temporomandibular disorder (TMD), measures such as botulinum toxin injections to reduce muscle spasms, medical therapy or orthopedic surgery may be considered.

In addition, people can also access physical therapy exercises designed to balance jaw muscles and reduce temporomandibular joint stress such as masseter muscle massage, slow and symmetrical mouth opening exercises… For more serious cases, it is necessary to combine the use of dental appliances such as chewing trays, as prescribed by your doctor, to adjust chewing force and reduce stress on the temporomandibular joint.