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Teeth grinding/clenching - options?


skimomma
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Apparently I grind and/or clench my teeth while sleeping.  This has been going on for years, if not decades, but recently my dentist has pointed out that it is now causing notable damage to my teeth.  Years ago, a previous dentist recommended a splint to wear at night and I had one made.  I could never get used to it.  Not only was it difficult/uncomfortable to sleep while wearing it, I woke with headaches.  So, I quit using it.  Within months, it no longer fit anyway.  Apparently my teeth move a lot.....  I then tried an OTC splint with the same results.  I gave up.

 

So now that it seems to be causing damage, I am back to trying to do something to correct it.  Are there any options other than the traditional splints that most people use?

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My dh used to grind his teeth in his sleep and went to the dentist to ask for advice. The dentist said that while dh could get a mouth guard, he would first recommend that every night before he fell asleep, dh should tell himself, "I am not going to grind my teeth tonight". Dh did so and the grinding immediately stopped. It's been about 25 years since then and he has never ground his teeth again. I know it sounds strange and unbelievable, but it was a very effective solution.

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My dh used to grind his teeth in his sleep and went to the dentist to ask for advice. The dentist said that while dh could get a mouth guard, he would first recommend that every night before he fell asleep, dh should tell himself, "I am not going to grind my teeth tonight". Dh did so and the grinding immediately stopped. It's been about 25 years since then and he has never ground his teeth again. I know it sounds strange and unbelievable, but it was a very effective solution.

 

I did that when I was clenching my jaw at night and waking up with a sore TMJ. Worked very well. Now I tell myself to keep my jaw open slightly so my teeth don't touch and it seems to work.

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what helped my teeth grinding (which I did all through my childhood) - was alleviate underlying stress.  (yes, my childhood was super stressful.)  I got reminded of this when during an incredibly (and prolonged) stressful time, I started grinding my teeth again.

 

try yoga 3x per week.

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Well, my theory is that you aren't necessarily grinding your teeth at night.  It may have something to do with how your teeth are aligned and any time you eat it's causing issues.  I say this because my dentist told me the same thing yet it is HIGHLY unlikely that I am grinding my teeth at night because for one thing I cannot breathe through my nose when laying down.  So how is it I'm doing this while sleeping with my mouth open?  I do have a pretty severe overbite so I think it's just how my teeth are lined up.  They mentioned a mouth guard, but I don't want to use one because I don't want anything messing with my sleep (I HIGHLY value my sleep...it keeps me sane..KWIM?)

 

This may not pertain to you.  Just throwing that out there. 

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When you had a night guard in the past, did it fit over all of your upper teeth?  If so, you might want to try one of the newer guards that is only on the front teeth.  

 

I have been a tooth grinder all of my life (my parents said I would wake them up from the sound when I was a preschooler).  I have had a number of different night guards over the years, but my dentist said that they are now thinking that having a guard on the front teeth, so that the back teeth don't touch each other or a guard, is a better solution.  He fitted me with a smaller guard and I think it does do a much better job than the larger mouth guard.   

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I have chewed through guards that are supposed to be permanent, and I would spit them out while I was asleep.

 

The ones I use now are called Plackers Grind No More. They are designed to be disposable. One will usually last me a week or two depending on my stress levels. I like that these don't cover the teeth like a sports guard.

cVS pharmacy has a different brand that is smilar but a little bit cheaper.

The best thing about these now is that I can still wear them with my braces.

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My teeth grinding happens during the day when I'm making musical rhythms with my mouth by grinding and tapping my teeth together. It's so unconscious that I don't notice it. I should try more humming, singing or whistling so I don't completely wear down my teeth. I may alienate my entire family, though. The grinding is quiet.  :laugh:

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My dh used to grind his teeth in his sleep and went to the dentist to ask for advice. The dentist said that while dh could get a mouth guard, he would first recommend that every night before he fell asleep, dh should tell himself, "I am not going to grind my teeth tonight". Dh did so and the grinding immediately stopped. It's been about 25 years since then and he has never ground his teeth again. I know it sounds strange and unbelievable, but it was a very effective solution.

 

That is so cool!  I am definitely going to try it!

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what helped my teeth grinding (which I did all through my childhood) - was alleviate underlying stress.  (yes, my childhood was super stressful.)  I got reminded of this when during an incredibly (and prolonged) stressful time, I started grinding my teeth again.

 

try yoga 3x per week.

 

I believe that I have been doing it my whole life but I am sure stress is a factor.  I have been trying to reduce my stress/anxiety for years.  I already exercise for at least an hour a day, do yoga, and practice relaxation techniques right before bed.  If I could eliminate the stress,  a lot of issues would be resolved.....

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Well, my theory is that you aren't necessarily grinding your teeth at night.  It may have something to do with how your teeth are aligned and any time you eat it's causing issues.  I say this because my dentist told me the same thing yet it is HIGHLY unlikely that I am grinding my teeth at night because for one thing I cannot breathe through my nose when laying down.  So how is it I'm doing this while sleeping with my mouth open?  I do have a pretty severe overbite so I think it's just how my teeth are lined up.  They mentioned a mouth guard, but I don't want to use one because I don't want anything messing with my sleep (I HIGHLY value my sleep...it keeps me sane..KWIM?)

 

This may not pertain to you.  Just throwing that out there. 

 

I am pretty sure it is happening day and night.  Dh has complained about it for years so night is for sure happening.  I catch myself during the day.  Especially because I live in a very cold climate.  I catch myself clenching when out in the cold or driving on icy roads, which can be almost daily during about half of the year.  I am just assuming that I can at least minimize the damage if I can prevent it while sleeping or at least prevent damage while sleeping.

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When you had a night guard in the past, did it fit over all of your upper teeth?  If so, you might want to try one of the newer guards that is only on the front teeth.  

 

I have been a tooth grinder all of my life (my parents said I would wake them up from the sound when I was a preschooler).  I have had a number of different night guards over the years, but my dentist said that they are now thinking that having a guard on the front teeth, so that the back teeth don't touch each other or a guard, is a better solution.  He fitted me with a smaller guard and I think it does do a much better job than the larger mouth guard.   

 

I did use a full guard.  It is great to know there has been some evolution.  I will keep that in mind if all else fails and I have to go the "official" route through my dentist.

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I have chewed through guards that are supposed to be permanent, and I would spit them out while I was asleep.

 

The ones I use now are called Plackers Grind No More. They are designed to be disposable. One will usually last me a week or two depending on my stress levels. I like that these don't cover the teeth like a sports guard.

cVS pharmacy has a different brand that is smilar but a little bit cheaper.

The best thing about these now is that I can still wear them with my braces.

 

This is exactly what I was hoping was available out there!  Thanks!

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I believe that I have been doing it my whole life but I am sure stress is a factor.  I have been trying to reduce my stress/anxiety for years.  I already exercise for at least an hour a day, do yoga, and practice relaxation techniques right before bed.  If I could eliminate the stress,  a lot of issues would be resolved.....

 

do a yoga practice aimed *specifically* at relieving stress.  iow: don't do power yoga.

try to do one 3x a week.  

yoga is different from almost all other exercise because it activates the parasympathetic nervous system.   most other forms stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and can increase adreniline levels.

Parasympathetic Nervous System. In many forms of exercise, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, providing you with that fight-or-flight sensation. Yoga does the opposite and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic system lowers blood pressure and slows the pace of your breathing, which allows relaxation and healing.

 

77 benefits of yoga

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Any chance you are of Scandanavian descent?  My kids's dentists are a married couple--the husband is of Scandanavian descent and is a grinder;  the wife is not Scandanavian and says that she can not even move her jaw in the way that her husband does when he grinds.  They have a running argument regarding whether there is a link and say that they have seen a high correlation in their practice.  When they saw how my son was a grinder as a small child, they asked who else in the family is--I do, my dad did some, he says his father (who was Scandanavian) did a lot...DH does not clinch or grind and does not know anyone in his family that does (and he is not of Scandanavian descent).   

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My daughter and I both seem to grind. My daughter was given a mouth guard that did not cover all her teeth. It seems to have changed her bite. We went to an orthodontist who told her not to use that guard and instead made a custom retainer that fits over the teeth kind of like invisilign (but only a couple of hundred dollars). We also both do posture exercises from the chiropractor.

 

I did not get a mouth guard but have been trying to train myself not to grind. What seems to make the biggest impact is upper body exercises where I move my shoulders and arms around and where I loosen my neck. Seems that once all that is loose, then my jaw loosens up too. So, before bed, try some arm circles, Hawkins arms, stretches, and gentle swiveling of the neck. You can also lie on the floor on your back with your head on a book or two and have someone slowly swivel your head from side to side. (See Alexander technique for a more detailed explanation.) You have to relax for them to do this, so you can use this method to train yourself to relax your neck muscles. Try talking or singing during this and see if you can remained relaxed. Also, when reading, try to swivel your neck now and then so that it doesn't freeze up.

 

I am not functioning completely well, but the above exercises have made a dramatic improvement.

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Lots of good advice here, but I'll add another idea. Lately, I've been experimenting with sound therapy and decided to use my insomniac husband as a guinea pig. He was waking throughout the night for years due to feeling stressed. Melatonin helped somewhat initially but then not so much. It wasn't until he started listening to a song called 'Weightless' by Marconi Union that he began sleeping the whole night even without melatonin. Listening to the song worked the first night and without the melatonin. So now before bedtime, he listens. It's 8 minutes long but they also have longer versions.

 

The song was purposely created to induce a calm feeling. They worked with sound therapists and used certain harmonies and a slow beat that help to lower heart rate which helps to change breathing. It's been tested on people and found to lower blood pressure and cortisol. So, what the heck. Might want to put in some earbuds and give it a listen to see if that helps, too.

 

I think the very best thing to do is to somehow get the grinding to stop because eventually your TMJ could be affected at some point and that can be a bugger to fix.

 

https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/neuroscience-says-listening-to-this-one-song-reduces-anxiety-by-up-to-65-percent.html

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My dd and I both have bruxism. We tried OTC guards but they were too big and uncomfortable. I have a full upper guard that the dentist made and dd has a small guard that was fitted for her that she wears. Hers only covers her two front teeth. It's called NTI appliance and is less expensive.

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I get my bite guard online through SportingSmiles.  They're cheaper than my dentist, but just as good.  

 

I have really bad teeth grinding and have had it for years.  I have two crowns thanks to grinding my teeth.  I actually had to upgrade to a stronger bite guard because I cracked it.

 

You can also try heat packs (rice packs) on your jaw muscles and temporalis muscle before bed.  Can also do some self-jaw massage on those muscles (look for trigger points).

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l have and occasionally wear a mouth guard, but what I found helped most was regular chiropractic care. I started going for other reasons, but found that my jaw clenching and headaches mostly went away, and when I am grinding or clenching, the chiro or massage therapist will attend to my jaw and it helps.

 

This had never occurred to me!  I go to my chiro once a month and will bring it up next time.

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Just a PSA :-( !  I clench my teeth, but don't think I grind.  I have had 2 or 3 dental fitted (expensive) night guards.  I had a crown or 2 done and then they didn't fit right anymore.  I don't currently have a fitted night guard.  In August, I cracked a bottom back tooth that had a big filling in it.  It was cracked below the gum line and I had a crown lengthening to be able to put a permanent crown on.  It was that or a dental implant and, for now, I chose this option.  The procedure itself wasn't too bad.  I am going next week to get my permanent crown on.

 

Well...I just did the same thing to the same tooth on the other side.  Literally like 30 minutes ago.  I go to the dentist on Tuesday.

 

All this to say, that if you can find some help with the clenching/grinding now, before you totally wear down your teeth or start cracking/breaking them, then do it.  Try to find something that works because this is NO fun.  It should be a lot less expensive than fixing the broken, worn down teeth!!!

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Just a PSA :-( !  I clench my teeth, but don't think I grind.  I have had 2 or 3 dental fitted (expensive) night guards.  I had a crown or 2 done and then they didn't fit right anymore.  I don't currently have a fitted night guard.  In August, I cracked a bottom back tooth that had a big filling in it.  It was cracked below the gum line and I had a crown lengthening to be able to put a permanent crown on.  It was that or a dental implant and, for now, I chose this option.  The procedure itself wasn't too bad.  I am going next week to get my permanent crown on.

 

Well...I just did the same thing to the same tooth on the other side.  Literally like 30 minutes ago.  I go to the dentist on Tuesday.

 

All this to say, that if you can find some help with the clenching/grinding now, before you totally wear down your teeth or start cracking/breaking them, then do it.  Try to find something that works because this is NO fun.  It should be a lot less expensive than fixing the broken, worn down teeth!!!

 

That sounds miserable.  Look into magnesium.  It helps relax your jaw and your muscles, so you won't clench your teeth anymore.

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do a yoga practice aimed *specifically* at relieving stress.  iow: don't do power yoga.

try to do one 3x a week.  

yoga is different from almost all other exercise because it activates the parasympathetic nervous system.   most other forms stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and can increase adreniline levels.

Parasympathetic Nervous System. In many forms of exercise, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, providing you with that fight-or-flight sensation. Yoga does the opposite and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic system lowers blood pressure and slows the pace of your breathing, which allows relaxation and healing.

 

77 benefits of yoga

Kristen, I'm intrigued by your reply. I should have known this already. Can you recommend any specific yoga workouts/instructors/programs? I'me excited to read up more on this. The second link about the parasympathetic nervous system isn't working at the moment. I'll keep trying. My dh reminded me that meditation works on the PNS also, but I'm more into yoga than into meditation. 

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Kristen, I'm intrigued by your reply. I should have known this already. Can you recommend any specific yoga workouts/instructors/programs? I'me excited to read up more on this. The second link about the parasympathetic nervous system isn't working at the moment. I'll keep trying. My dh reminded me that meditation works on the PNS also, but I'm more into yoga than into meditation. 

 

I started with "yoga conditioning for weight loss" by suzanne deason.  it's aimed at middle aged out of shape women.  re: not strenuous.

 

I do yoga from dvds. I know exactly what my practice will be like - and I can do it when it works for me.

 

look for something for "stress relief".

some instructors  I like are 

barbara benagh

Ashley turner

 

that site has had issues with broken links. . . sorry, I can't help.

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