I had an appointment at the dentist the other day, and near the end of the appointment I happened to mention that once in a while my jaw is a little stiff when I wake up. He told me he wasn’t surprised, that he could tell I was grinding my teeth at night. He said my molars were flattened out, “Can’t you see that they’re flat!”, he said.
So, he wants me to come back in January to get a mouthgaurd. For some exorbitant fee, of course.
I’m not really that worried about the money (I have insurance), but the more I think about it and look up grinding, the more I’m both confused and freaked. The weirdest thing is that I get the feeling the dentist wasn’t even going to bring it up until I did. He’s at least the 4th dentsit I’ve seen as an adult, and none have ever brought it up. No one I’ve shared a bed with has ever mentioned it, but admittedly I usually sleep alone. I looked at my teeth when I got home and I really don’t see that they’re flat - they still look contoured to me. He also said “that’s why they’re sensitive”, but they’re not in the least sensitive, and never have been. I never have headaches or jaw pain in the morning, just this little bit of stiffness, and only on occasion. Should I be worried about cracking molars?
However, I’m reading all over the web about how people have broken teeth, etc, and just then found out that they were grinding the bejeeses out of them. So now I’m scared that I’ve done some major damage that I don’t even know about. I brush and floss regularly and have good teeth with only a couple of fillings, but could I be wrecking my teeth in some new way I’ve never thought about before?
I guess I’m looking for stories about other peoples experiences with grinding, and with the mouthguard. Also, if there are any dentists out there who could put my fears to rest (or build them up), that would be cool. Thanks.
I would get a second opinion before you pay the guy big bucks to do something drastic.
When I was a teenager my mom took me to an orthodontist who wanted to break my upper palate in three places and put in a metal expansion-widget. Um… no thanks, sez I.
Later DDS opinions say the upper half of my bite is a little narrow, and it does make me a mouth-breather on occasion, but no huge need to go breaking my face up. Anyway the bite guard isn’t drastic or permanent, so I certainly wouldn’t put it in the same class as serious dentistry or orthodontia, but if it’s going to cost you big out of pocket I’d check in with someone else first, why not?
I grind my teeth when I’m stressed, and bought a sports mouthguard to wear to bed during such times. Making sure it fits properly is important, of course, so breathing isn’t hampered at all - but it seems to work fine. In fact, because it’s quite chunky it actually helped me stop grinding too, and the muscles around my jaw became more relaxed in the mornings. All for less than $10!
If you don’t have a feeling of trust and respect with your dentist,perhaps you should find another.
Bruxism might be an inherited thing-my Dad had it,and in my early life it was a conscious day time habit of mine,which I eliminated.But what happens at night?
My dentist mentioned this years ago,and now that my rear teeth are cracking apart,has made a mouth guard,only moderately uncomfortable.He showed me,via mirror,how my upper teeth have worn grooves in the lower,and it is apparent by color change that the enamel has thinned at the contact areas.
I don’t suffer TMJ problems too much,but the mouth guard aids that,too.
The guard covers the lower teeth,and was around $200.
As Carson O’Genic said, a mouth guard shouldn’t cost more then 250 dollars and last for up to two years. They’re standard equipment, really.
A friend of mine (aged 40) had bruxism real bad. I was the first of his bedmates to remark on it. I could really see his teeth had worn down; they were flattened and in places I could see the slightly more yellow core inside the whiter enamel border of his teeth.
The funny thing was, that friend had healthy teeth. The bone of his teeth may have been showing, but he never had cavity. But I’m glad he got the mouth guard before the rest of his teeth had been gnawed away, and we would have had to leave him out on the ice because he couldn’t chew the seal skin anymore.
The weird thing is that up until this I completely trusted this guy - he has always been very gentle and really patient with my wussy dental fears. Also, it’s not just him - no dentist has ever told me this before.
I think I’m going to try out the mouthgaurd, seeing as I do have insurance. I’m just concerned about really damaging my teeth now. I realize there is nothing else I can do, it’s just freaking me out.
I’m a clencher and a grinder, and my teeth are cracked and broken and somewhat ground down. I don’t know if it is because I have crappy, weak teeth, or because I’m grinding them, or both, but I too sleep with a mouthguard now. I wish I’d gotten it years ago, before all the cracking and breaking. No dentist really recommended a guard; they usually mentioned the grinding/clenching, but none of them were too concerned about it. I think your dentist recommending it now makes him a better dentist, not a bad one. The mouthguard is okay. It’s actually helping my teeth stay in place, too, I suspect (I have some crooked teeth that are constantly shifting simply from the pressure of my lips over them).
What specifically is worrying you? Lots of people clench and grind. It’s very common.
You know, that’s a good question, I’m not sure what exactly I’m worried about. Basically I guess I’m worried that suddenly I’ll have all these cracked, broken teeth. Honestly, I’m the type of person who can worry about anything though. If you don’t mind me asking, how old were you when you started having adverse effects from the grinding/clenching?
It’s hard to pinpoint which caused the breaking of my teeth - the grinding or the general weak condition of them. I have fillings in all my molars, and sometimes pieces of them just break off while eating. I would almost guarantee you that fewer pieces would be breaking off without the grinding, though - it definitely doesn’t help already weak teeth. I think I broke my first tooth at about 30.
You know, if you’re going to worry about having cracked, broken teeth, get the mouthguard to help prevent it. And brush and floss and visit your dentist regularly. Then forget about it - what will be, will be.
I totally understand where you’re coming from. My dentist was the one who noticed I’d been grinding- it definitely leaves you vulnerable to cavities since the tops of your teeth are being worn away. And when I mentioned it to a girlfriend whom I’d slept with regularly, she suddenly remembered hearing me grind at night (but always forgot to tell me in the morning). It also explained the recurring jaw pain.
Anyway, after I got fitted, my stress levels went through the roof. I could not wait to get the damn thing, and I’m sure my interim grinding was horrible. I also found myself on the brink of TMJ during the day, constantly clicking and tensing up my jaw. I tried a pharmacy night guard but it was waaay too bulky. It all settled down after I got the guard, which feels a bit bulky at first, but is easy to get used to (but definitely have your dentist shave it down at his office if it feels uneven or way too big). I still occasionally wake with a sore jaw, but oddly enough it is often when I feel like I’m stress free. probably subconscious crap.
You know, this is really excellent advice. For some reason my teeth are a real paranoia point for me, but I am going to try to relax about it. None of the molars are filled on the top (two are filled on the side), so hopefully they are reasonably strong anyway.
