Other Tooth grinding/clinching/bruxism

[CyclePath]

I just read a few articles about how "stress" is a main component of bruxism/grinding/clinching teeth and that many with PTSD have this problem. I am service connected for both PTSD and bruxism. My teeth are pretty much gone and a few are broken while I am missing a couple of crowns too. None of these issues could be fixed easily and I have been wearing a mouth guard for years at night. I was wondering if anybody else here had the same issues.

The VA has been good to me with it. I need a full mouth restoration and they are going to do it. In fact, the first steps in the process started last week. I clinch and grind my teeth so hard that my jaw has been thickening (mandibular tori) and the extra bone was so big that none of the restoration could begin without first removing the bone. Last Wednesday I spent four hours in surgery getting all the bone in my jaws/mouth cut out. For a bonus they also pulled out two teeth and completed a crown lengthening at the same time (cut out some gum exposing more tooth). It's been a long week...pain was a little worse than I though it would be, but the meds covered it well.

Over the next year I will be getting a few bridges put in as well as a mouth full of crowns (every tooth). I'll have a badass grill when they are done though!

P.S. I found out today that my knee needs to be scoped too. It's going to be a long year.

 

[Deleted member 8714]

Hi @CyclePath ,
I've had this in the past. It stopped in 2010 when I remembered the abuse by my father and his criminal acts. That was the tension I held so long within me. Back in 1989 when I saw a dentist he recommended a mouth guard. I should've gotten one. My mouth is a mess from grinding my teeth at night and I don't have the money to fix it. Neither do I have the insurance which covers it.

Throughout my childhood, my mother yelled at me from down the hallway to stop grinding my teeth. Her yelling awakened me from a dead sleep.

 

[Lee2001]

Yes I do this! I don't know if it's from the ptsd but would not be surprised! I have very large muscles in my jaws from it! An oral surgeon called them alligator jaws! I knew of muscle thickening but not bone... wow. I can't seem to get a mouth guard to fit right.. even the ones from a lab as they have made them to tight and hurt my teeth. Dentist redid it twice but still won't work. I don't want to ask to have it remade so I hope a couple of years with out won't be too bad. Sorry about all of your dental work and surgery! It's interesting how much stress truly affects your health! Kinda scary.

 

[MrMoonlight]

Yes,I had the same problem until I lost all my back teeth. I used to dream of teeth falling out and remember driving a metal lance into abscesses in my gums...exquisite pain that i'll not soon forget. If a mouth guard can help man it's worthwhile...any untreated teeth problems tend to start the domino effect on the rest. Glad to hear you will be getting everything fixed. That work is so dang expensive..

 

[Nessa7]

I'll be finishing up some not too major dental work because of mine next week. They're hoping that I'll break myself of the habit before I do any major damage. I didn't start doing it until I had a really bad ear infection that spread into my jaw a few years ago, so I'm hoping I can pick up a less expensive bad habit to replace it.

 

[hodge]

I lost a back tooth due to grinding early in my PTSD onset days. My GP later gave me a tip that I think has really saved the rest of my teeth. She said to keep my tongue on the roof of my mouth. I made it a habit, even in my sleep, and I've had no loose teeth since. It sounds weird, but it's really pretty easy to get into the habit. I hope this helps.

 

[Deleted member 8714]

And there in lies my problem....

She said to keep my tongue on the roof of my mouth.

My tongue doesn't do that well because of tied tongue which needs to be corrected.

 

[shimmerz]

And there in lies my problem....

The never ending double binds strike again......

 

[Chitoshi]

I have bruxism/grinding of the teeth. I have a mouth guard for it. Glad to know I'm not the only one.

 

[shatter eyes]

Chewing meat about 50psi
Clenching at night 100 to 150psi.

Anyone got head injuries too?
Trygeminal nerve in face gets upset and this can happen. Study i read.

Also.. SSRI can f*ck shit up by inhibiting the relax signals to the jaw muscles.

I split my mouth gaurds and my teeth hurt alot everyday.

My dentist dont know how to help.

 

[shatter eyes]

I found....

Must read:
Sleep Bruxism

 

[watundah]

I did a lot of damage before I realized I have it. I have broken bits away at the base of several teeth and cracked a few before I got a guard. I hope it helps. I have woken myaelf grinding on the guard and occasionally catch myself clenching my jaw when awake, but hey, at least I'm aware of it now. The dental assistant said it can come and go if it's stress related but my life is so mellow...I wonder if hypnosis would help.