# Bruxism anyone? (Clenching jaw at night) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 22, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017 "2010-01-22T18:15:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/21 "2010-01-23T02:29:18Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > You may have typed that prior to my last post. This is the _third_ dentist who has said an appliance wasn’t likely to help. And my dentist is really beyond reproach. > > They have done the fancy x-rays, sending me to a “center for oral and maxillofacial surgery” because their clinic had a fancier x-ray machine that did a kind of panoramic shot of my jaw from ear to ear. :smack: I definitely didn’t see your last post. That’s terrible. Nothing’s worse than finding out it’s not a “simple” solution. FWIW, jaw massages help me as well, both self administered and the help of my SO. But I think my problem is less severe than yours, and I find that the effects last just a few hours (which, is usually all I need, but YMMV) ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/22 "2010-01-23T03:09:45Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > If one of your significant issues with bruxism is jaw-muscle pain, I highly recommend the [NTI-TSS appliance](http://www.willisandhookdental.com/images/procedures/nti-ss.jpg), which fits over only your front teeth. That way your back teeth can’t even touch, and even if you keep clenching or grinding, you can’t bear down nearly as hard. It’s generally not covered by insurance but at $200 it’s some of the best money I’ve spent on the problem. Not very many dentists offer them – I had to [search](http://www.headacheprevention.com/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=search&Itemid=26) for one. I had one of these prescribed to me, and fitted by my dentist (cost me $400) After the first 4 months I had loosened it significantly, and had marks in it from my lower teeth. Two perfect molds of my two bottom-front teeth on the bottom of the appliance. My dentist re-fitted it, and two months after that I woke up with it loose in my mouth and I was chewing on it like a piece of hard candy. Scared the shit outta me - it’s easily small enough to get stuck in the trachea. I haven’t touched it since. I got one of [these](http://www.splintek.com/ph/sleepright.html) from Walgreens, and have used it ever since. I put some significant molar-prints into the bite plates initially, and it’s got tiny cracks in it now, but still works and I’m not afraid of accidentally inhaling it. I’ve had the same one for more than 2 years. Worth the $40. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/23 "2010-01-23T03:44:19Z")
I used to think I was just clenching my teeth, but it turns out I was grinding a little, too (your teeth don’t lie to people who know how to read them). I’ve got the usual hard plastic splint, and it works fine for me. I think it helps me throughout the day, too - my jaw muscles are used to being in the better position the splint puts them in, and it seems like they stay that way all day. ETA: Forgot to say, my splint is so hard that a clencher wouldn’t get much joy out of it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/24 "2010-01-23T03:46:14Z")
I clench at night and during the day when stressed. I have very bad jaw problems, like I can’t eat a hot dog in a bun because I can’t open my mouth that big. If I do get my mouth wide open, I have to kind of wiggle it to click it back in place to close it. My primary care doctor told me to go see a dentist so they could work to diagnose TMJ issues (it’s on my to-do list). I got a $20 guard (waxy thing you boil, take an impression, then you’re good to go). It’s not perfect and I should get a custom one, but it has made my jaw problems really back down. I probably do chomp on it at night, but it doesn’t hurt my jaw the way teeth on teeth do. Assuming I’m not doing any damage to my teeth, it’s one of the best things I’ve done in a long time. I wish I had done it years ago. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/25 "2010-01-23T14:12:29Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > I had one of these prescribed to me, and fitted by my dentist (cost me $400) After the first 4 months I had loosened it significantly, and had marks in it from my lower teeth. Two perfect molds of my two bottom-front teeth on the bottom of the appliance. My dentist re-fitted it, and two months after that I woke up with it loose in my mouth and I was chewing on it like a piece of hard candy. Scared the shit outta me … I actually bit my first one completely in half after a few months, though it only fell into pieces when I was cleaning it one morning, so I didn’t get that nasty shock you had. But my dentist promptly ordered me a super-duper one from the factory or whatever (instead of making it in her office like the first one), made of much tougher stuff. She only had me pay for the difference between the old one and the new. It’s twice as wide – covers four teeth on top, instead of just two – and the plastic is clearer, bluer, and doesn’t yellow or scuff. She ordered it with extra depth on the surfaces I was wearing through. I’ve only managed to put a shallow groove in it after almost a year now (apparently I grind mostly from side to side). It fits tightly in place with a definite _click_ and I can’t pry it loose with my tongue at all. Sorry your experience with it sucked so bad. Maybe it’s one of those things that only works if the dentist is particularly good at it. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/26 "2010-01-23T14:47:26Z")
I clench my jaw when I’m stressed out, and I also seem to clench a little at night, because I sometimes wake up with horrible jaw/ear pain. Seeing so many people here getting relief from a small mouth guard makes me think I should give one a shot. It won’t help with the stress-related daytime issues, but it’ll do _something_. I think a lot of the daytime problem is actually caused by me biting my lips or my nails - the movement my jaw has to make, to line up my front teeth properly for “nibbling”, is not good for it. Also, my teeth don’t line up right. I had braces for years, and I guess my teeth have migrated since taking the wires off. The front ones have only moved a tiny bit, but a couple of molars seem to be wandering around back there. I think the misalignment is causing some problems, but I can’t afford new braces at this point - and I _really_ don’t want to go back to braces, because they _sucked_. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/27 "2010-01-23T23:50:57Z")
I do a… weird thing… Since I was an infant, I’ve made a “Squeak, squeak, squeak” sound to soothe myself. I make this sound by shifting my jaw far left and making a chewing motion. This makes a squeak somehow by pushing saliva between my cheek and top gum line and tongue. My teeth never touch. I can even put my finger along my molars and squeak. It is a Very Strange Thing to Do. I used to do it unconsciously and in my sleep. I got several of the tension headache related symptoms of bruxism, and masseter hypertrophy on the right side. My right jaw muscles were getting such a workout, my jaw muscles got really built up on that one side \Totally pumped!\. I’ll see if I can find a pic that shows the difference in my jaw line. When my wisdom teeth came in, there wasn’t enough room for me to do this, so I stopped. That put a blissfull end to the tension headaches and related bruxism-like symptoms. Then I got my wisdom teeth extracted. _sigh_ I don’t do this when awake, except if I see something cute. Whereas most women will exclaim “Squee!” upon seeing a cute, fuzzy kitten, my jaw shifts left and I’ll start the squeak motion. It takes a conscious effort not to do so. There is no damage to my teeth, but my dentist is concerned about wear and tear to my jaw up in the joint. Interestingly I also have [mandibular tori](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandibular_tori), which are common for people who brux. I don’t believe it’s _caused_ by bruxism, but a lot of people who have tori, also brux so they are considered related conditions. Currently my dentist and my previous dentist think it’s a Very Strange Thing to Do, but they don’t think an appliance will help as much as just me making an effort to knock it off! ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/28 "2010-01-24T00:03:20Z")
Okay, not the greatest example, but if you look at this [wee little photo](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/32171027/6262280) you can see that the right side of my jaw, below my hand has a super-pumped muscle compared to the left side. Sorry, it’s the only photo that has all my hair tucked up out of the way to see it. Edit: it’s not as bad in that photo as it was when I was younger, pre-wisdom teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/29 "2010-01-25T06:06:01Z")
I’m told I have a pretty good case of bruxism. I spent x00 dollars for a custom tooth guard, but it would escape my mouth during the night. And, once the dogs got the idea that it was a cool new night time chew-toy, it didn’t really work at all. I also tried a football-type tooth protector, but that hasn’t worked out, either. I expect that one day I will wake up with a mouth full of broken teeth. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/30 "2010-01-25T06:32:11Z")
My dentist told me that bruxism devices are a ripoff, and that unless you have insurance, his patients could just go to the store and get a football guard that you can mold to your teeth. ---
**Author:** ![mathews78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@mathews78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mathews78)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/31 "2010-01-25T06:53:02Z")
I have always assumed my bruxism was related to intense dreams I would have been having at the time. I only remember a small number of my dreams, but some of these are definitely weird/scary enough that even if I was awake I would still probably be grinding my teeth. In my ‘rave party’ days I used to take magnesium supplements to reduce the muscle spasms and jaw clenching associated with MDMA use, and I found this to be extremely effective. I am wondering if this would also assist people suffering bruxism? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/32 "2010-01-25T06:58:37Z")
Take a magnesium supplement. It sounds like naturopathic bullcrap but I swear to god it works, and the investment is very very small - a 90 day supply is usually 3 or 4 bucks (I swear this stuff will be $60 a bottle though if word ever catches on how well it works.) Several years ago I found a reference to its effectiveness in an obscure scientific study while looking for a solution to my very bad bruxism. It’s not a total cure for me because I grind particularly bad, but it reduces the intensity and frequency A LOT. I’ve recommended it to at least half a dozen friends and family who’ve all thanked me enthusiastically within a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/33 "2010-01-25T18:38:04Z")
Hm. I’ll have to give magnesium supplements a try. What I know of magnesium and muscles makes actually makes it sound reasonable and not so naturopathy bullcrappy actually. I seem to clench mainly when I go into crazy-ass-dreams mode. I mainly need something to settle my jaws down when I go through those phases. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/34 "2010-01-25T19:45:07Z")
Magnesium, huh? Definitely have to give it a try. What dosage, and are there any known drug interactions? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/35 "2010-01-25T20:38:09Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > I think a lot of the daytime problem is actually caused by me biting my lips or my nails - the movement my jaw has to make, to line up my front teeth properly for “nibbling”, is not good for it. This sounds more like me. Lately I’ve been making my life a living hell by constantly nibbling at my lips and inner cheeks. I can only stop by concentrating my full attention on it. By the end of the day, my teeth and jaws ache miserably. I clench at night too, but that doesn’t seem as important. I’m getting a book from the library about obsessive-compulsive disorder, see if they’ve got any tips for me. I think I’ll try the magnesium too. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/36 "2010-01-26T03:22:09Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > My dentist told me that bruxism devices are a ripoff, and that unless you have insurance, his patients could just go to the store and get a football guard that you can mold to your teeth. I tried that route, and they are so big and clunky and bad-fitting that they were quite useless. My device is molded especially for my crooked teeth and small mouth; it fits just fine and works great for me. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/37 "2010-01-29T19:04:27Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I tried that route, and they are so big and clunky and bad-fitting that they were quite useless. My device is molded especially for my crooked teeth and small mouth; it fits just fine and works great for me. That’s what I’m saying too. Get the kind you boil in water for an 8-count, dip once in cold water, then into your mouth where you clench your teeth while sucking the rest of the water out of the mouth guard. Take scissors and trim to make it smaller, and viola… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017/38 "2010-01-29T19:22:37Z")
Did all that - I got a big, clunky mouthguard with sharp edges where I had trimmed it off. My custom-made one is marvelously sleek and well-fitting - there just isn’t any comparison for me. They even made a cut-out space for my crooked upper canine so it could stick out freely. I did like chewing on the rubber one, though. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bruxism-anyone-clenching-jaw-at-night/526017.md?page=1)