Teeth Grinding/Jaw Clenching

In my sleep (and sometimes while I am awake) I grind my teeth and/or clench my jaw. Sometimes I will wake up with really bad headaches because of it. Does anyone know if there is a way to get this to stop? Or a way to deal with it at least? I do have a mouth guard that I wear sometimes, but only sometimes because it is hard to fall asleep with it in. I think maybe it is too thick. But if anyone deals with this issue and has any tips or advice I would sure appreciate it! Thanks!

Yes I have this problem but have learned how to treat it. See your dentist and ask if there's a more comfortable guard. Mine is sort of cushiony plastic instead of hard. I also clench during the day if I don't watch myself - so learn how to be mindful of what you're doing. Practice placing the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth not touching the front teeth - only the tip not whole tongue then relax your jaw. It's all a matter of being conscious of what you're doing. You also might find you're also carrying tension in your neck and shoulders as well. Do some gentle jaw stretches and you can apply ice or heat if you need it too. It's important to wear your guard at night. Good luck.

I used to grind really badly and wake my bf up. I then started using a guard, took me 3 months to chew straight through it though. At the moment it's got a lot less, and I hardly use my guard. Speak to your p-doc to prescribe something - the official term is bruxism

I live with this too.

I just got my dental insurance back and am going to be getting a mouth guard.

The technical name for this is Bruxism. Bruxism can be caused by stress, but it can also be made worse by some anti-depressant meds. It's not really listed as a side effect I don't think because generally folks don't get it...but for those that take higher doses of their anti-D's, like myself, it can be related to that as well.

Lynn has an excellent suggestion about practicing keeping the tip of your tongue at the top of your mouth. If you practice this throughout your day and make yourself do it, you will be training your brain to do it and this will ultimately help you to not clench as much during your day.

Definitely see your dentist as jaw clenching and teeth grinding can lead to TMJ which can be difficult to treat.

I have a lot of HA's due to the clenching and they can be horrible.

Hope this helps.

I'd like to stop grinding my teeth too, I was actually going to start my own thread about it! It's something I've done ever since I was a little tacker, and my teeth are SHOCKING now. I hate them. Nobody ever took me to a dentist, I haven't been since I was 8. Now I'm too scared to go because I know they are so bad I won't be able to afford to get them fixed. It's hard to even smile now because one of my top teeth is shorter than the others. And 2 of my bottom teeth are really crooked so they are longer than the others, and they wear down my top teeth.
If only I could get them fixed, even just my top teeth so I can smile better. It makes me so depressed.

Evening, I can relate. I have grinded my teeth for so long and now they are cracked and chipped everywhere in my mouth

I feel awful and disgusting about it.

I've read that tooth grinding is equivalent to your brain "twiddling its thumbs" :-) The suggestion was to eat an apple (something hard/crisp) or bagel (chewy) and sort of wear out those muscles and relax your brain's taking it out on your teeth.

I tried it (my dentist says I grind my teeth) and it seemed to help some. But I would definately go to your dentist and see what they suggest. I had a mouth guard made but they're kind of expensive and my teeth changed so it didn't fit anymore and I didn't find it comfortable for sleeping in, etc.

Thanks for the tips and advice everyone. I wondered if chewing gum would be good for this habit, but sometimes that wears my jaw out and makes it hurt. I did the same thing sugahorse mentioned and chewed through my first retainer. The mouth guard I have now is not one from the dentist, it is just a sports one that you buy at the store and fit yourself. I knew if I went to the dentist that they would just charge me out the wazoo for a mouth guard that is more-or-less the same as the ones you can get in the store. I haven't been to the dentist for a long time and I know I need to go, but I just keep putting it off. Once finals are over hopefully I can get to someone this summer. I will try that putting my tongue to the roof of my mouth thing and hopefully that helps. I have woken my husband up before and I have woken myself up once or twice. Sometimes my husband will wake me up in the middle of the night to get me to stop. lol. I think the guard I have now is too big though, not too big for my mouth just too bulky or thick I guess you would say. Anyway, thanks for all the replies and if anyone else has any more recommendations I would appreciate it! Thanks!

I just use a sports gum guard and mould it in hot water. My b/f also used to wake me up in the middle of the night. My one back molar has cracked in half due to my teeth grinding. Recently it has got a lot less though

I have been wearing my mouth guard more at night and it is helping. Also, the tip lynn P. gave about placing your tongue at the top of your mouth really does help with teeth clenching during the day. Thanks for the great tip, it has really helped a lot!

I am now 57 & was grinding my teeth all my life. My teeth were bad from the beginning from antibiotics & high temperatures from being sick when my permanent teeth were forming, so there is hardy any enamel on my teeth to start with. Mouth guards weren't hear of when I was growing up (a new thing for all you younger people).

When I went to the pain psychologist that my pain specialist sent me to in order to treat me with the pain medication for my migraines, he told me that it is something that taking AD's will also cause, so on top of the anorexia that I was dealing with even though that was after I was 40, & the AD's that were shoved on me to try to find something that might work, my teeth are now all broken & every cap that I had on the teeth that had been broken have all broken off.

I am waiting for enough money to have all my teeth pulled & get dentures as that is the only solution at this point.

The thing is also that one dentist told me that the bumps on the back of my lower gum on either side was from grinding my teeth & also has to be removed before they can fit my mouth with dentures.

My parents had no idea that there could be anything that might help the teeth grinding & there was no offer of any solution when I was young enough to make a difference. I remember having dreams when I was grinding my teeth of all my teeth falling out of my mouth....little did I realize that was a premonition of what was going to happen.

So until I can afford to have my teeth all pulled (having no insurance & medicare doesn't pay for dental anything), I eat soft food & try not to choke of anything that I can't chew. My parents told me that if I didn't take care of my teeth they would all fall out....I took care & brushed all the time & I am still in this mess.

My dad also had bad teeth, so maybe I also inherited some of this bad also on top of everything else....it's just a huge mess that I am dreading having to deal with while living alone.

The mouth guard is definitely important to use if you have it as you really don't want to end up in the situation that I am in......do everything that you can to care for it as the results of doing nothing isn't good.

Eskielover (Debbie)

I managed to stop grinding my teeth, but within the last 2 weeks it's started again:-(

For me it's so bad to the point where I can't literally "grind" them anymore. My teeth are so dull that it is impossible for me to make the grinding sound. I continuously "chew" my teeth on one side. Even though I know that I do it, I can't stop it. And yes, I wake up with horrible headaches. I also have really tense neck and shoulder muscles, probably because of clenching/grinding. I have to crack my neck every hour or so, and when I do it, sometimes it causes a sharp tingling sensation that runs down my back and into my arms. My neck is continually sore. My insurance doesn't cover mouth guards, so I have avoided getting one. I wonder if it would work to just use a sports mouth guard?

I just use a sports mouth guard, cost the equivalent of $6!!

I use a sports one too that you buy at Walmart and fit to your own mouth. It is much cheaper and it works for me. They are going to do the exact same thing at the dentist except they will try to charge you an arm and a leg, but I really don't think there is any difference. I would definitely give it a try.

My dentist talked me into a mouth gard- I didn't think I was grinding my teeth, but my migraines have just about disappeared as has my stiff neck. I tried the cheapies you mold yourself, and for me I found no comparison to a custom fitted one. Pricey, but worth every penny!