Bruxism

[Anonymous]

Does anyone else grind their teeth at night? My dentist obtained a mouth guard for me but it falls out at night and has wound up in the drawer next to the bed. I wake up with really bad pain in my jaw and I know that if I do not find a solution then I may harm my teeth.

Are there other solutions to dealing with this problem? Apparently it is stress related but that is hard to treat. I workout a lot for stress relief and I am not sure if there are other treatments besides muscle relaxers, mouth guards, etc.

[Anonymous]

Yes, got invisalign for my bite which was part of the problem... the nice thing is the invisalign is much easier to wear at night. I used to spit out the big mouthpiece they originally gave me for grinding. I would find it on top of my bed.

[Anonymous]

[QUOTE]
Does anyone else grind their teeth at night? My dentist obtained a mouth guard for me but it falls out at night and has wound up in the drawer next to the bed. I wake up with really bad pain in my jaw and I know that if I do not find a solution then I may harm my teeth.

Are there other solutions to dealing with this problem? Apparently it is stress related but that is hard to treat. I workout a lot for stress relief and I am not sure if there are other treatments besides muscle relaxers, mouth guards, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

I might be able lend some advice. I'm in dental school, so I don't know everything about this, but at least I'm not talking out of my ass.

A night guard is probably the best thing for you to maintain your teeth and prevent further wear. But it would be better if you could find the underlying cause of your bruxing. It's possible that your bite may need some minor adjusting (This is called "Equilibration"). If your teeth aren't hitting together perfectly, then that may be a subconscious trigger for you to start grinding your teeth. (Subconsciously trying to grind away the spot that isn't hitting perfectly.) Like you said, there is often a stress-related component, so if you can address that issue, you may see some vast improvements (This may be addressed by making some lifestyle changes, seeing a therapist, etc.)

Now regarding your night guard not staying in, did you mention that to your dentist? Did he try to fix it? Does the night guard go on your top teeth or your bottom teeth? I have found that a lot of times patients tend to dislodge the night guard with their tongue if the night guard is on the bottom. Maybe you could have him make you a new one.

By the way, do you recall ever injuring your temporomandibular joint (jaw joint) in the past? (Even in your childhood?) An injury to that joint can really cause problems down the road. Do you ever notice your jaw clicking or popping? If you do remember such an injury or notice such symptoms, you should try to get your jaw stabilized, then get your teeth equilibrated, and hopefully this will provide some improvement for you. Please let me know if you have any more questions.

[Anonymous]

Get a new night guard... yours obviously does not fit. I grind my teeth and have a night guard. They took molds of both upper and lower teeth and that guard fits in so tight (it really has to snap into place. it takes some getting used to)... it is not going anywhere! It has helped tremendously. Make sure the dentist fits your guard properly and shows you how to put it in properly.

[Anonymous]

I ditched the night guard a while ago. It made the roof of my mouth and my gums feel Mushy. And then of course it wound up in the nightable and then in the garbage. I truly feel that it is stress related (WORK) and that until I leave my job it will not cease. It has gotten really bad this past month. I would consider therapy as the dental student above said. But I wanted to know what others have done besides mouthguard.

[Anonymous]

"It's possible that your bite may need some minor adjusting (This is called "Equilibration"). If your teeth aren't hitting together perfectly, then that may be a subconscious trigger for you to start grinding your teeth. (Subconsciously trying to grind away the spot that isn't hitting perfectly.)"

I had the same problem, i.e. bruxing and my dentist did the "equilibration" but it took a set of upper and lower braces for two years to get the job done. It was definitely worth it though. No more bruxing and a very nice smile I might add. http://www.cafepharma.com/ubbthreads/images//graemlins/grin.gif

[Anonymous]

BITE ME!!!

[Anonymous]

Crap, I just had my right rear molar repaired, damn thing was half worn down from grinding. Doesn't it suck? Semi-conscious yawning really seems to trigger a hard grind session.

FYI, heard grinding and/or dreams of your teeth falling out are caused by money worries.

FYI 2, heard you can exert 2-3 times the pressure on your jaw during sleep than is physically possible while awake, full of cheery news aren't I?

Relatively new splint (fancy name for mouthguard) called MDI, I think. Just had impressions made for one to be fitted, hope it goes well. My wife can't sleep at night, I grind the hell out of 'em.

[Anonymous]

Well I saw the dentist and he said nothing about an adjustment. I tried a bite guard once and it was a waste of time for me. Honestly, I just resigned from my job for another and I am hoping this will make a difference. Put it this way. I hated my job so much that it was very difficult to get out of bed in the morning. Today I got up at 6:30 AM to go running with better half. It amazes me how much a shitty job can affect the spirit and mind.

[Anonymous]

123

[ahshit]

Stop doing cocaine. :D Arkie

[Slartybartfast]

I have the wife leave the ball gag in after my nightly whipping.

Works a treat.
42

[Boogalou Shrimp]

[QUOTE]
Does anyone else grind their teeth at night? My dentist obtained a mouth guard for me but it falls out at night and has wound up in the drawer next to the bed. I wake up with really bad pain in my jaw and I know that if I do not find a solution then I may harm my teeth.

Are there other solutions to dealing with this problem? Apparently it is stress related but that is hard to treat. I workout a lot for stress relief and I am not sure if there are other treatments besides muscle relaxers, mouth guards, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

I might be able lend some advice. I'm in dental school, so I don't know everything about this, but at least I'm not talking out of my ass.

A night guard is probably the best thing for you to maintain your teeth and prevent further wear. But it would be better if you could find the underlying cause of your bruxing. It's possible that your bite may need some minor adjusting (This is called "Equilibration"). If your teeth aren't hitting together perfectly, then that may be a subconscious trigger for you to start grinding your teeth. (Subconsciously trying to grind away the spot that isn't hitting perfectly.) Like you said, there is often a stress-related component, so if you can address that issue, you may see some vast improvements (This may be addressed by making some lifestyle changes, seeing a therapist, etc.)

Now regarding your night guard not staying in, did you mention that to your dentist? Did he try to fix it? Does the night guard go on your top teeth or your bottom teeth? I have found that a lot of times patients tend to dislodge the night guard with their tongue if the night guard is on the bottom. Maybe you could have him make you a new one.

By the way, do you recall ever injuring your temporomandibular joint (jaw joint) in the past? (Even in your childhood?) An injury to that joint can really cause problems down the road. Do you ever notice your jaw clicking or popping? If you do remember such an injury or notice such symptoms, you should try to get your jaw stabilized, then get your teeth equilibrated, and hopefully this will provide some improvement for you. Please let me know if you have any more questions.

I have one. Why cant you figure out how to quote properly?