teeth clenching at night

[EmilyGF]

Hi all,

You guys are such an amazing source of info!

I'm a teeth clencher. I've worn various styles of night guards for a few years, but I'm wondering if there are any more natural treatments to at least decrease clenching. 

Are there stretches? Exercises? Sleeping positions? 

Being 100% stress-free probably isn't a possibility, LOL.

Emily

[Selkie]

I just posted about this recently on another thread. My dh used to grind his teeth in his sleep. His dentist told him that before falling asleep, he should tell himself, "I am not going to grind my teeth". Dh tried it and it worked, and he has never ground his teeth again.

[Nichola]

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Edited January 21, 2021 by Rosemary

[Anne]

This has helped me:  As I’m getting comfortable in bed, I consciously relax my jaw and try and maintain that relaxation into sleep.  Another tip is to put your tongue directly behind your upper front teeth where they meet the gum line.  

 

Anne

[EmilyGF]

36 minutes ago, Rosemary said:

Do you snore? Do you have any type of airway constriction (nasal congestion, deviated septum, etc.)? There is often a  link between these and clenching/grinding. The theory is that when your airway is constricted during sleep, you move your jaw (often forward) in an effort to open up the airway. This creates the clenching/grinding motions that result in tooth wear, jaw pain, etc.

This can often worsen during allergy season due to the nasal congestion that accompanies it.

That being said, there are people who just snore or just grind. Very often, though, there is a link.

If you are interested in getting to the root of the problem, go see an airway friendly dentist or ENT. They can help you figure out why you’re clenching.

 

Nope, no snoring or known allergies.

[Nichola]

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Edited January 21, 2021 by Rosemary

[gardenmom5]

I have had times when I've done a lot of clenching and grinding. (It would wake me up, or leave me with a sore jaw)  every single time has been traced to stress.  reduce stress, reduce clenching/grinding.  yoga is great for reducing stress.  (better than most other exercises.)

[J-rap]

One thing I've heard is that you shouldn't have anything with caffeine in the evening.  (I don't know if there's any truth to that.)

[Pawz4me]

My dentist recommends a glass of wine before bed. It doesn't always work for me, but two hygienists have told me that it really is enough to stop a lot of people from clinching or grinding.

[Chris in VA]

Have you tried a "beak" guard? It is fitted to you by a dentist and is basically a plastic cover for your two front teeth only that is built up a little and has a little plastic bump and doesnt allow your teeth to come together. It kinda looks like two Us and at the bottom of the U is the bump. Works great. My dentist said other guards work by covering all the teeth so they don't wear away; this works by preventing any grinding at all.