Bruxism oh nooooooo

[Claudius Maximus]

So my insomniac roommate has informed me that I grind my teeth horrifically in the night. He says that it's loud enough to wake him at its worst (which is unfortunate with how little he sleeps). This is pretty bad news to me because my teeth are already kind of jacked up and I really don't need any further dental problems.

Anyway, I can't visit my dentist for months, but I certainly don't want to let this go on if I can stop it in any way. Online information seems all over the place and I kind of don't trust a lot of it, so I turn to the playground. What can I do to fix or at least alleviate this problem?

[Syka]

I remember my mom had that issue, and the doctors gave her a retainer like device to use at night.


It ended up on the pillow more often than not (got spit out in her sleep; the same has happened with my retainer a time or two), so she stopped using it.


Honestly, you've probably been doing this for years so a few more months shouldn't hurt anything. Other than that...whenever your roommate hears you grinding, have him wake you up. It might eventually train your body to not do it for fear of being awoken.

[thubby]

get a mouth-guard. any sports guard will do for at least sparing your roomie from having to hear it.

[Claudius Maximus]

I got a mouthguard thing just a few hours ago. One of the ones that shapes itself to your bite (since mine is rather unique). I was all "man I can't wait to attach this to my nice and intact lower jaw" right up until I rendered it nonreturnable by opening it and reading that the directions were essentially "please attach ONLY to what is presumably not merely the shattered wreckage of your upper teeth. We probably could have indicated that earlier but whatever."

Anyway I already have my roommate wake me up when he hears it. As far as I remember this is about twice a night on average.

[wxdruid]

I've had a plastic retainer type device for my teeth for years. I sleep with it every night. Some of them have gone on the top teeth, some on the bottom. I've found it provides me a lot of relief and I can't sleep without it (or if I try, my jaw hurts a lot in the morning).

[WalkingTarget]

Same deal, I'm on my second appliance since I wore out my first one in a matter of about 4 years (which, frankly, surprised/impressed my dentist and reinforced to me just how much I probably needed them). If they're made properly they won't fall out at night, but they can be kind of expensive. I also really notice the next day if I forget to use it.

[KenderWizard]

Grinding your teeth is almost certainly caused by stress, and will be made worse by use of alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes and drugs.

Can you relax more, especially coming up to bed time? Some kind of meditation or breathing exercises right before you go to bed might calm you down and make the problem less bad.

Also, if you're having financial worries or relationship worries or something like that, it might be causing it or making it worse.

If you drink a lot of coffee or alcohol, or smoke or use any other kind of mind-altering substance, you should definitely cut down (it'll be good for your general health as well!). Especially make sure not to drink coffee late in the evening.

Something that might help you fall into a deeper and more relaxing sleep is exercise. If you're properly tired at the end of the day, you're less likely to be anxious and to sleep badly, which could really help with this problem. Even just going for a short walk in fresh air once a day will help your body sleep better at night.

Anyway, it's a reasonably common problem (one in five people will get it at some stage, at least in Ireland), and often just comes for a while and goes away again. Seeing your dentist will be good for getting a retainer and undoing any damage you do, but if you take a step back and try to find the cause of the problem, you might be able to sort out the problem permanently!

[WalkingTarget]

Grinding your teeth is almost certainly caused by stress, and will be made worse by use of alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes and drugs.

Can you relax more, especially coming up to bed time? Some kind of meditation or breathing exercises right before you go to bed might calm you down and make the problem less bad.

Also, if you're having financial worries or relationship worries or something like that, it might be causing it or making it worse.

If you drink a lot of coffee or alcohol, or smoke or use any other kind of mind-altering substance, you should definitely cut down (it'll be good for your general health as well!). Especially make sure not to drink coffee late in the evening.

Something that might help you fall into a deeper and more relaxing sleep is exercise. If you're properly tired at the end of the day, you're less likely to be anxious and to sleep badly, which could really help with this problem. Even just going for a short walk in fresh air once a day will help your body sleep better at night.

Anyway, it's a reasonably common problem (one in five people will get it at some stage, at least in Ireland), and often just comes for a while and goes away again. Seeing your dentist will be good for getting a retainer and undoing any damage you do, but if you take a step back and try to find the cause of the problem, you might be able to sort out the problem permanently!

As a counterpoint - I don't smoke, I hate coffee, I use no mind-altering drugs, and while I drink (very) occasionally now, I didn't at all when I first had to start dealing with this. I get plenty of sleep and generally lead a low-stress life (or at least manage a stoic lack of tension).

Some people just grind their teeth.

[Inigo Montoya]

I happen to be one of those people who grinds their teeth, and I've done it my entire life. Apparently, it used to sound like I was breaking plates in my room.

The only advice I can give has already been given. Try and find a mouth guard, and see your dentist/orthodontist.

[wxdruid]

I've also heard catlover grinding her teeth in her sleep and she's not even a teenager yet.

I wear out the mouth guard every few years and have to get a new one. I personally love them because they save me a lot of pain and a lot of wear and tear on my teeth.

[Anxe]

I thought mouth guards worked for both top and bottom teeth? I've switched mine before. Try it on your lower teeth for a night.

And yes a mouth guard is the correct solution. Your dentist will tell you that too. My mom did it and her dentist told her to use a mouth guard when she slept. Not doing so could cause worse problems later on in your life.

[WalkingTarget]

I thought mouth guards worked for both top and bottom teeth?

The ones I've gotten from my dentist are actually made using impressions of my upper teeth so they fit tightly. I don't know about off-the-shelf kinds.

[Claudius Maximus]

The ones I've gotten from my dentist are actually made using impressions of my upper teeth so they fit tightly. I don't know about off-the-shelf kinds.

Mine did that too, so swapping is out of the question. Unfortunately the impression was made shortly after an extraction, and now everything is healing back and shifting. I probably won't be able to wear it any more in just a week. :smallsigh:

For the record I do not have anything to do with any kind of substances, even coffee. I wouldn't know where any stress is coming from, since I can handle all of my work, and overall my life is pretty easy.

[Anxe]

It's not necessarily about stress. It could be just a habit you have.