Teeth Grinding

[usul]

I grind my teeth each night due to stress and anxiety directly related to my ptsd. I was hoping to gain some good tips in dealing with this. I really care about the condition of my teeth and dont want to do anymore damage. Are there specific teeth guards that are better than others? Are there any supplements that i can take that would help in relaxation? All info would be helpful :) thanks in advance.

 

[Deleted member 29920]

You could try some of Ramiel Nagel's tips. I grind badly and have damaged alot of my teeth in the past year. I would recommend getting a night guard specifically fitted for you made by your dentist. I've been wearing one for the last 4 months and haven't broke any more since. Make sure you get a good sturdy one though. I live in UK so mines was provided by NHS and it has ended up with a little hole so it will need replacing soon.

I do oil pulling with coconut oil which I think has been keeping my mouth healthy. I haven't had any toothache since starting this a few months ago.

I also take Green Pasture Butter Oil which is expensive but worth it as my mouth/teeth have really improved.

And calcium carbonate, half a level teaspoon a day.

If my gums ache I dab a drop of tea tree oil on them before bed which helps too.

I would recommend cutting out or at least reducing refined sugars too.

Valerian tea has been good for relaxing, but take care and ask a professionals advice on taking supplements /mixing them with other medicines. Neals Yard is great but I don't know if you have that where you live?

But the best thing for the grinding is definitely the mouth guard.

Hope some of this helps :)

 

[Leah Morgan]

Go to your dentist and get a shield made. I got this so when I grind I get less headaches and don't damage my teeth. It needs replacing when you eventually grind through it but it works

 

[ms spock]

See dentist for guard
Rubbing your jaw for 15 minutes a couple of times per day.
Exercise
Relaxation
Mindfulness
Working through traumas
Eating well
Anything that gets that anxiety out.

 

[hodge]

One easy tip I got from my regular doctor -- keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth. You can't grind your teeth if you do that. It has become second nature to me now and I don't believe I even grind my teeth in my sleep anymore. Mouthguards are very expensive. Get one from your dentist if you can, but if not, get into the habit of keeping your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

 

[Deleted member 29920]

Also, if you do get a mouth guard, be sure to keep it super clean and your mouth too. Ask your dentist for best cleaning tips

 

[sweetness and light]

This is kind of weird, but when I wake myself up with grinding my teeth I sucked my thumb. I used to be a thumb suckered as a small child and it just helps me relax my jaw. One could argue it's swapping one maladaptive behaviour for another but at least it doesn't crack my teeth!

 

[Neverthesame]

keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth. You can't grind your teeth if you do that.

That's really interesting, I've not heard that one before.

For myself, I stopped doing it after I shattered a molar. I guess the pain was bad enough that even my sub-conscious decided to find a better way to tell me that my cup is close to overflowing.

 

[rainbow1]

I got a mouth guard from my dentist about a year ago for severe teeth grinding. He moulded it to the shape of my teeth so it fits really snug. It really does help a lot, my headaches and neck pain have improved massively too. It wasn't expensive only around £20. He also does hypnosis and specialises in teeth grinding etc so he gave me a hypnosis recording that I can listen to at night to help with this.

 

[Chava]

I've wrecked some of my teeth from grinding. I'm not able to tolerate a mouth guard. It was made for my mouth and I still couldn't do it. But this works for others, so it's certainly something to try if you haven't yet.

Magnesium supplements are natural muscle relaxants (works against calcium, which constricts). But I also take a muscle relaxant (for pain) which seems to help keep the teeth-grinding down too. Not sure if your doctor would be okay with even a small dose of something like that. My muscle relaxants also make me sleepy, so I take at night and sleep pretty well on them. Also, calming evening routines or watching a short comedy if I'm agitated helps a little too. I am more likely to grind my teeth if I go to bed in a stressed state, for whatever reason.

 

[Marymickaela]

I grind my teeth each night due to stress and anxiety directly related to my ptsd. I was hoping to gain som...

I also grind and clench my teeth. I had a night guard, but had stopped wearing it due to laziness. My teeth had started to break, chip and shift this past winter so when I decided to start wearing the guard again it didn't fit. This past week I got a new night guard and plan to wear it every night as I want to keep the teeth I have. I'm in the process of getting an implant (my 2nd one) which is costing me over $6,000. The night guard cost me over $600 before insurance hopefully pays something. I know people can get guards at the drug store, but I wanted a good one, which is why I went thru my dentist.

 

[Kailani]

You can look up making a mouth guard on you tube by a dentist. Dentists charge 200$ or so for one but you can buy a guard in the sports section at Walmart for 10$ and heat up water in the microwave for a few minutes then let cool til safe to place in your mouth. It makes a perfect mold after a minute. Plus white gel put in it when you sleep at night will make your teeth sparkly. It worked for a friend of mine and I hope it works for you too! Take care!!!