Hi Unaluna and all:

Glad your mouth-guard is working out for you! I am getting fitted for a mouth-guard on Tuesday! Hope it works as well for me. Am a bit concerned about sleeping with it as my tongue is so fat my mouth opens at night and the membranes dry out and i wake up with my mouth tasting like a garbage can. My dentist showed me computer images of my back bottom teeth and almost all the enamel is worn off from teeth-grinding at night, called "bruxism."

I've been getting pain twinges in these teeth. Sensitivity toothpaste helps. Also, my dentist painted a protective substance on my worn-out teeth and that is working well. I haven't had a pain twinge since she did it about two weeks ago. It's just a temporary measure tho; has to be repeated every few months. Luckily i have an excellent dental plan.

She wanted me to see a specialist about crowns or caps but i'm a dental trauma survivor from when i was fourteen so i nixed that idea pretty quick! I'll do emergency dental care and the mouth-guard but that is all.

The use of computer-assist technology has really exploded in dentistry these days. It was really impressive.

So, yeah, mouth-guards seem to be common for people with stress. But i sure hate the dentist. One older, experienced dentist i was a little braver with retired and my new one is inexperienced and indecisive, tho very talented with the new tech.

I just don't like anyone sticking sharp instruments in my mouth and prodding around tho. It's not humane. I've considered getting my teeth cleaned under anesthetic and might pursue that tho.

I *do* want my teeth for life, just the question is how much suffering can i tolerate to do that. Not much! I brush, floss and rinse regularly, so i do my part. Hopefully that helps prevent any further damage to my teeth.

Last appointment, which was my first in three years, i didn't have a single cavity! I was worried the pain twinges were cavities and i can't bear having the high-speed drill used to fix them. So, yay for no cavities!!!

I hope my mouth-guard works as well for me as yours does for you!

Ta!

Jane.



P.S.: I forgot and @handled you the first draft of my message so if you get a notification, please forgive! It's a habit and i am trying to be diligent but sometimes i make mistakes which is all part of being human. My apologies if you got an annoying notification. Very sorry!