UKC

Ok. So my dentist says I'm grinding and clenching and its doing all sorts of damage - breaking teeth, damaging the edge of my tongue etc.

Apparently its mainly in my sleep although I have noticed jaws clamped tightly together sometimes when I'm driving so I have to consciously relax again.

I'm not sure what to do to solve it?

Anyone been there and got some ideas?

In reply to Babika:

Is there no gag device for when you go to sleep?Mind you that might cause you to constantly dribble saliva and wake up dehydrated. Alternatively you might choke on any device in the mouth.
(When I was at college a cow died because a student left a gag in its mouth and its severe dehydration was not able to be reversed. A sad way to die)

In reply to veteye: er...........what?...............bit odd........

In reply to Babika:
Hey Babika,
How long has it been bothering you? are you suffering from stress, or anxiety at the moment?

I've suffered from this, i had some success with some simple relaxation, and breathing exercises before bed.
There are gum shields designed for this, but they're not exactly comfortable.

In reply to Babika:

I'm sure your dentist recommended a mouthguard? It stops the damage and I feel it stops as much clenching.

As for in the daytime I think it's just reprogramming the brain, though I can't say I'ma good example. My mandibular muscles are aching as I write this.

In reply to Babika:
I have a similar issue.

I'm damaging the biting surface of 2 teeth by grinding and jaw clenching when sleeping. Im stressed to heck at the moment and feel that is my biggest cause. I go the dentist every 6 months so thankfully I've not caused much damage yet and its been detected early.

Apart from trying to relax the physical fix for me is a colour matched filler put on the very edge of the affected teeth (biting surface) and behind the tooth. Also at night i have been sleeping with a tooth tray/mouthguard on the bottom teeth. The tray was fitted to my mouth at the dentist. It is very comfortable, flexible and I dont feel it when it is on.

In reply to Zoro:

I was trying to think of some device to stop the surfaces(occlusal) coming into contact, hence the idea of a gag(device for keeping the mouth open),but something less involved. If you read the other answers there are devices-gum shields and a tray.

In reply to Zoro:
Hi Zoro

I guess I must be stressed though its not obvious.

I normally fall asleep instantly but I guess I can try some breathing exercises to relax the jaw

I'll also look into the mouthguard. The dentist didn't mention it but I think on a previous occasion he muttered something about "specially fitted retainer - quite expensive". Its sounds like a good investment

In reply to Babika:

Sounds like stress. Your dentist is trying to treat the symptoms.
Might be worth looking at what you can do to reduce stress / anxiety and relax more.
It's a cumulative thing, so even little things might help.
I find walking sorts my head out more than anything.

In reply to Babika:

Have you tried cutting down your MDMA intake?

In reply to Babika:



Lay off the swedgers.

In reply to Babika:

I really rate my mouthguard, yes not cheap (top NHS price bracket, £200+), but since using it I have found that waking up each morning with aching teeth isn't normal. It took me about a week to get used to sleeping with it and now if I forget I can feel the difference the next morning.

In reply to Babika:

Gum shield, they stay in quite well, but if you die don't come and blame me.

In reply to Babika:

Yep gumshield - wife uses one as she grinds her teeth. Works well for her.

In reply to Babika:

There are various bite guards you can buy our have made but that won't solve the problem, generally people either spit then out in their sleep, chew through them, or just can't wear them.
Work on finding out what's troubling your sub conscious.
Treat the cause not the symptoms (as more GPs should do).

In reply to Babika:

As other have said get a gumshield. I used to grind something terrible. My jaw would click when I ate and would even 'jam' sometimes. I used the shield for a while and now no longer need it. Whether I am now also less stressed is debatable, but the gumshield is def a good place start. Mine cost around £50.

In reply to Babika:

I had a mouth guard made up by the dentist around 5 years ago to fix this problem. They made a mould then a rubber guard which cost around £50. I lost it while I was away travelling a few months later and the problem seems to have gone away now. Subsequent dentists haven't mentioned it and I haven't noticed it happening any more.

In reply to Babika:

I've had exactly the same issue. Mine is most definitely stress related as I only get it occasionally and can normally easily identify something I'm bothered about. Saying this I didn't have any issues before my wisdom teeth started moving again. The mouth guards do work but I normally find I spit mine out at sometime in the night. When I had mine done (in England ) I was informed it was cheaper to have it done private than on the NHS but when I had it replaced, now in Wales, it was cheaper again on the NHS and they did a better job too.

In reply to gethin_allen:

My dentist only does private I think. I have Denplan so I never pay him for treatment or check ups but I suspect this would be chargeable. I think I'll look into it though.

I also agree with everyone about treating the source of the problem - but that's sometimes easier said than done!

Many thanks for the helpful advice

In reply to Babika:

My former dentist handed out the same verdict to both me and wife but I'm unconvinced. I think its a sort of coverall to propel the client into the sad destination of downhill dental health and maintenance. 'It's not your fault and it's not mine'. This same dentist was later found to have been negligent - untreated root canals. is he / she ageing ? Don't trustt hem if they can't see properly. There are plenty of other factors which determine state of teeth.