Other Bruxism (teeth clenching/grinding), tmj injuries caused from stress

[NarcSis]

I've been clenching my jaw and grinding my teeth most nights over the past year, thing is, I can't really stand to see the dentist - there's something there about her being a little overbearing, I can't take it yet. I'm making a concerted effort to notice when i'm doing it and try to loosen my jaw. I try to do relaxation exercises and most times it helps.

 

[becvan]

Thanks everyone.

Unfortunately I can not buy an over the counter guard. I have issues with gagging on things and I'm not even sure if I can use the fitted one!

I have now re-injured the injury. Joy. Anyone want to trade heads with me? Pretty pretty please, with sugar and cherries on top?:wink:

Relaxation, mediation, mindfulness all work great... when I'm awake. Nothing works while I'm sleeping. Darn it.

I'm miserable and soooo Cranky right now. I do hope I find something that works too. Right now I'm just trying to manage the pain and swelling...

Thanks everyone, much appreciated.

bec

 

[sisyphe]

Wow, weird how common bruxism is for ptsd sufferers. I used to clench my teeth all the time till my parents got divorced and I didn't have to live with my father anymore, and then it magically stopped happening. Still, I had to get 2 root canals from clenching my teeth too hard, and I've had arthritis in my jaw ever since. For a long time I couldn't open my mouth more than 2 cm, so I learned to talk without moving my mouth much, and people often assume I have some sort of foreign accent and ask me what country I'm from, heh, heh. My mum had TMJ problems before she got divorced, so I wonder if it was because of my father too. My mum got one of the guards and she said it helped a lot. I think it's definitely worth the money, even if it seems really expensive.

 

[Borderline]

Hi all.

I have copied an old topic which I posted a while ago. It contains some info regarding treatments that I have had for tooth grinding, over recent years.


"I noticed in another thread that I am not the only one here who has dental problems related to PTSD.
I have problems with going to the dentist in the first place but this is improving.

I grind my teeth at night when I am asleep. This has done a lot of damage to my teeth, they are worn and some have broken. My dentist made me a mouth guard to put in at night. I have enough problems sleeping and this did not help. I learned to spit it out while asleep. I tried 3 others I developed a gag reaction to having them in at night, so this avenue seemed exhausted.
The consultant who made the final guard offered me a different solution, Botox injections putting the toxin deep inside the jaw muscles. This worked very well, over the next two weeks the muscles weakened and wasted in size.(they were very big prior to this). I no longer had the strength to do damage to my teeth. One warning, you might not be able to smile for a few weeks if the toxin moves around, this did not bother me.
I was also refered to the nearest dental hospital, to have the damage repaired, after a couple of useless repairs which broke immediatly I got fed up and did not go back. I referred myself back to the first consultant, he retreated me, he also wrote to the dental hospital regarding the poor treatment that I had been given.
The dental hospital recalled me and a senior consultant took over my repair work. What a difference this made, he asked if I could take part in his lectures, this only meant him photographing the work as it was done. His solution was " old fashioned" rebuilds done in gold. So after many visits I now have all the damage repaired in gold, a few gold crowns and the worn surfaces lined in gold. As Gold is a "soft" metal in wears before damage occurs. At present my 4 front lower teeth are the only ones without gold inlays. I am also glad to have the old mercury based fillings removed. This along with Botox injections every 12-18months has been a good combination for me.
I dont know if getting rid of my PTSD would stop the grinding, I think that I have been doing it for so long that it would probably continue.
Getting this problem sorted has been such a relief, I even have been able to let one or two senior students examine the work, so I am improving."


Feel free to ask any questions, if anyone wants more information.

Geo.

 

[sigh]

I had botox b (there's a difference between a and b--a is cosmetic and b is medical) around my jaw. My insurance paid for it, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.

 

[BrownEyes]

It's amazing how similar we all are in so many ways. I too grind my teeth in my sleep and as a result have had root canals and an implant . My dentist recommended a night guard as well. It fits over my bottom teeth and it sounds the same as the other ones described in other posts, except for some reason mine cost a thousand dollars.

It was not covered by insurance because my plan does not include anything related to TMJ. But regardless of the price, I was willing to do and pay anything for relief, and it has worked pretty well for me.

I still have migraines and aching jaws and teeth, and some sort of nerve damage, but it has definitely decreased since using my night guard. I would definitely recommend one.

 

[sigh]

Bec and Brown Eyes, have you guys tried the botox--it can be a real relief for bruxism/tmj and headaches. I have gone through a lot of different migraine treatments, my teeth started disintigrating from the lithium (dry mouth), and you could hear snap crackle and pop when I opened my mouth. It doesn't necessarily work for everyone, but it will keep you out of a bite plate (I hope!!). I got them for migraines and I had roughly 30 punctures on either side. Though they were as small as insulin needles, all the way around can be stressful. I usually take my bite plate out while I'm asleep, so don't notice until I've woken up.

 

[cat]

I too clench my teeth day & night. I had a gum shield made in February after dental investigations reveled I had bruxism. At that time I had constant pain in my lower jaw, daily migraine & chronic insomnia.

The shield fits on my top teeth which apparently reduces the likelihood of you removing it during sleep & I was also given some jaw exercises to do. It took about 4 wks for the pain & my migraines to reduce & since being on meds for anxiety my migraines have stopped altogether. If I sleep without the shield I do get up with a 'tight' jaw. I also use it during the day if I'm going through extra anxiety.

I'm in the uk but had to pay for it which was £45 well spent.

 

[Grama-Herc]

I too have this problem and the dmage it has done to my mouth/smile/teeth is heartbreaking. All that $$$ I spent onfillings, root canals only to have them crack, break and even fall out was a waste.

I have also noticed something else of real concern recently. My jaw line is changing and I m developing quite an overbite. I've never had an overbite?

Any one of you guys notice a change in your jaw alignment??

 

[SunnyBrookFarm]

I know that I grind my teeth at night and have very "weak" teeth - especially in the back. Adding to that the absolute fear and anxiety I experience at the dentist - certainly has not added to my overall dental health.

Interestingly, I woke up this morning and one entire side of my bottom jaw is really sore, so last night must have been worse than typical.

 

[becvan]

Guess I should update this eh?

Yesterday I had to go to emerg. I felt like someone had beat me with a bat. Seems I've re-injured the joint and it hadn't even healed yet. I had to see the oral surgeon and get special X-rays.

So the end result is I have to take a concoction of Advil and Flexril (muscle relaxants) at night until I get a Night guard. If that doesn't work and the night guard doesn't work then I will have to get steroids shot into the joint. If that doesn't work then I'm looking at joint replacement surgery that has an extremely high failure rate. JOY.

Good news is the Flexril did help and I don't feel like I've been beaten with a bat today. I'm still swollen and on a mushy food diet but hey I'll take what I can get!

bec

 

[sigh]

You might have to get the injections, but the nightguard will always provide the protection for the teeth (not nec the jaw). I am making up an anatomy picture for my dentist so she can change my hard acrylic night guard to give my jaw a rest. (It will keep my mouth open at a certain angle. Keeping your mouth open can lead to bacteria growing at the front of your mouth and getting cavities there--however--there is stuff you can rub on your teeth to prevent that)

Just busting in :)