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34 years
My 4.5 year old son wants to bite anything (pillow, towel, toy, his tshirt, etc) and he does it very aggressively as if he were trying to uproot his teeth. What does this mean?
Sep 13, 2014
2nd opinion

Dr. Zakia Dimassi Pediatrics
Some children continue to be obsessed with putting things into their mouths past the age where it is considered appropriate. An oral fixation in children is common at a young age, but past a certain age can be a sign of something more.
These kids are referred to as ones who have an oral fixation. All babies go through an actual oral stage in development, which is appropriate as part of the way they discover things around them – they suck on, bite, chew on and sometimes even swallow objects, pretty much anything they can get their hands onto. For newborns and infants, sucking is pleasurable and calming in case of hunger, or comforting during teething. Some children, however, continue to engage in these oral type behaviors long after infancy.
These children seem to have an urge or craving to put things into their mouths. They may bite their nails, chew their skin on their hands, suck their fingers or thumb, bite their clothing, chew on crayons, or suck on or chew toys and other non-food items. They may also be children who have poor oral motor skills, may drool excessively, or may have poor eating skills (under weight or over weight) and poor oral hygiene habits. They may also be more socially immature and needy, and have more difficulty with separation from their parents.
Seeking the professional opinion of an occupational therapist or speech therapist is recommended for such children, in order to assess the reasons behind the need for this oral behavior. Some children have an oral fixation due to being weaned too early or too late in the infant oral stage (with bottle, breast or pacifier). Other children may have poor sensitivity (hyposensitive) in their mouths and have a need or craving for more oral stimulation that they get by sucking or chewing on non-food items. These children, when eating, may prefer intense flavors like hot, salty or sour. Some cases may be associated with certain diagnoses or developmental delay. For many children, this is simply a sensory need, and by developing a sensory plan based upon ways to appropriately satisfy their oral cravings, in addition to teaching them coping strategies and substitutions for inappropriate oral behaviors, these kids can gradually get over their oral fixations.
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