how did you stop grinding your teeth?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m gettin up there in years and for the first time ever, the hygienist (a new one) said it looked like I’ve been grinding my teeth. It’s weird that no one has ever mentioned it before.

Anyway, of course they suggest buying a night guard and I considered it but I don’t think I grind my teeth at night. Since this was brought to my attention I’ve noticed I actually grind my teeth ALL DAY LONG, not in a “clench” kind of way but I do this weird kind of gentle tapping/grinding movement, seemingly as a way to reduce anxiety.

So now that I’m conscious of it, I’m trying to break this habit simply by being mindful. I don’t know if that’s good enough. Anyone got any tips to share?

2

I do it when I’m listening to music. My teeth are my percussion section. And yes, I’ve lost teeth because of this; I’ve even lost their replacements.

3

I didn’t stop. I now wear an “appliance” during the day, and a heavy duty one at night. I don’t brux, I clench.

4

Yeah I was told that a daytime appliance is an option-- how obtrusive do you find it?

5

Not at all. Relatively thin with a snug fit. I don’t lisp or talk funny. It has to be removed for eating.

6

You can break the habit during the day, but you have no control of what you do while you’re asleep. If your hygienist can already see damage, you probably need to get a night guard. You will eventually break any fillings you have.

I shifted to cheap sports guards after my dog ate my expensive dental one.* Well, first I tried doing without because I had fixed the daytime grinding (I habitually pull a bit of cheek between my molars to be sure I don’t bite down unaware). Then I split a tooth lengthwise. It was the furthest back, so we pulled it rather than trying heroic measures to maybe fix it. Since then I wear a guard every night. I don’t have to remember to wear it, now, it just feels wrong to try to sleep without it there.

  • Apparently the smell of hard plastic combined with the smell of saliva signals: chew toy! And the plastic holder they give you does not block that smell.
7

What helped the most for me was botox. Teeth clenching may contribute to migraines. I get botox to help with my migraines, and they added a few in my jaw muscles. Failing that, the appliances are the only thing that really helped.