Why is chewing so important?
You probably think that you chew correctly and that you don't have that problem. But after reading this post you might change your mind about that.
Unilateral chewing not only causes imbalances in the chewing muscles, contractures in the neck muscles, displacements of the shoulders, spine, pelvis and even affects the general posture, but also stimulates the activity of the opposite cerebral hemisphere. Tension migraines, a feeling of tiredness, facial asymmetry, throat and ear complaints, vertigo, among others, are some of the main symptoms.
The midline, the line that passes between the central incisors, gives us an indication of which side chews more. If everything is balanced, with the mouth closed, the upper line coincides with the lower line. If chewing is unilateral, the midline will be displaced to the right or to the left depending on the chewing side.
The ideal chewing should be alternate bilateral chewing. That is, chewing on the right, swallowing, chewing on the left, swallowing and so on. This ensures harmonious development of the mouth, balanced brain stimulation and overall stimulation of the whole organism.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and we chew predominantly unilaterally, overloading the whole system.
With bilateral chewing we will achieve more benefits: the muscles of the skull will be stressed and relaxed in a balanced way and without creating overloads and tensions of one part in relation to the other. The balanced contact of the two dental arches transmits signals to the paranasal sinuses and auditory tubes, which favours the continuous emptying of mucus, which would otherwise stagnate and cause sinusitis and otitis phenomena.
It is recommended that this habit should be taken into account in the paediatric dentistry diagnosis because it can be detected at an early age, thus allowing early treatment and the establishment of an alternating or bilateral masticatory function for the harmonious development of the stomatognathic system.
At MIDSA Odontology we have the RFA treatment to help you. If you want to improve your quality of life, ask us for an appointment.
