Mouth stuffing can also be an important sign of sensory or motor difficulties in oral-motor control. When the mouth is fully stuffed with food, children obtain more sensory information about the boundaries of their mouths and the presence of food in the mouth. This often happens when oral sensation is reduced. The child may have a low level of awareness of the inside dimensions of the mouth and the feeling of food. The stuffing wakes up the mouth and helps the child know that there is still food in the mouth.
Some children deal with a condition called oral defensiveness.
These youngsters experience highly distressful sensations from food taste or texture. Unpredictable movement of the food can be very uncomfortable. Many children with oral tactile defensiveness also stuff the mouth because it reduces the random tactile input to the cheeks when smaller pieces of food are moved around. Mouth stuffing is also present when a child has difficulty using skillful tongue movements for chewing. Movements may be uncoordinated or limited in direction or strength.