I am clenching now

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#1 Post by **manglemouth** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:45 pm

Fellow clenchers...anybody out there?...I seem to be clenching during the day now (I don't think I do it at night). I think I have always done it but now that the braces are on, I think the "dirty mouth" feeling aggrevates it. I find myself constantly trying to (sorry TMI) suck the saliva out between my teeth and I do all kinds of weird things now...like leave my tongue "sucked against" my front teeth, it's like a nice resting spot for it there even though I can't imagine that this helps my overjet any! I don't think I ever did any of this to this extreme! And I often find myself with my teeth clenched together. I do computer work so I'll just focus on something and notice that once again my jaws are all cramped up from clenching.

Trying hard to stop doesn't seem to make a difference. I was thinking maybe a mouthgard, but aren't those for grinding? Yikes...anything to keep my mouth apart! (And the tongue thing has me concerned too...is this what tongue thrusting is???)

Oh boy

#2 Post by **NikkiB** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:23 pm

I'm not the only one!!!!!!!!

I clench like no ones business and I have an overbite/jet. I always catch myself resting my tongue against the back of my top teeth and resting on top of the bottom teeth. It almost feels as though there isn't enough room behind my bottom teeth. I try so hard to not do it but it happens anyways.

The other thing thatâ€™s horrible is that I clench so hard that I end up in physical pain before I notice I'm doing it, this is during the day. I sleep with a night guard but even through that Iâ€™m clenching so hard that I have burst a couple. I have what they call an aqualizer which has little "water pillows" that go in-between my molars. I woke up at one point with it deflated.

Anyways, I think my point was that I can sympathize with you and I know how hard it is. I have yet to get an answer as to why I do it now and never had prior to being braced.

Good luck with it all!

#3 Post by **jc75** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:01 am

I am a bad clencher too. I know that I did it at night before braces but it is getting worse. I feel like I do it all the time and have to make a conscious effort to stop it. It is getting quite bad at night. When I wake up in the morning or during the night I find my jaw kind of quivering, as if my teeth are shivering from the cold. It's really weird. Does anyone else have that. I did mention it to my orthodontist and she suggested getting a night guard but I think they sound really uncomfortable - I have enough hardware in my mouth as it is! I just hope that it will sort itself out as time passes.

#4 Post by **Ives** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 7:38 am

Same here, I am an extreme clencher. It wakes me up at night from the pain. I have to mentally think about relaxing my jaw muscles after I wake up to stop the pain. I used to grind alot as well, thats why I wore an appliance for so long. Not sure what is causing the clenching, I really don't have any stress in my life. Great wife, good job, fun hobbies.

Hey JC, I wake up with my teeth quivering also. At first I couldn't figure out what was going on, thought I was just cold, then I realized it was from clenching so hard, my jaw muscles are just tired.

#5 Post by **ladylee** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:33 am

I guess I can join this party. I clench so hard that I am waking myself up at night with jaw pain. During the day, I have to force myself to stop, even more so since I got my elastic. Lee

#6 Post by **Chris** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:02 pm

Calling all CLENCHERS!!

Repeat after me:

LIPS TOGETHER TEETH APART,
LIPS TOGETHER TEETH APART,
LIPS TOGETHER TEETH APART !!

If you have to say this in your head ALL DAY LONG, DO IT.

Nothing will stop clenching until you make it habit to do this DURING THE DAY.

Dont bite constantly together to see how your bite has changed.
Cut back on the caffeine.

PS. I stopped clenching after my hawley retainers went on.

But I STILL REPEAT THE ABOVE MANTRA!

#7 Post by **NikkiB** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 12:08 pm

I couldn't figure out the shivering quivering thins my teeth were doing. I do it all time and more so in the morning. I go to sleep with my teeth apart lips closed however, I still wake up in the morning clenching and do it throught the day. It's as if they are saying mercy, I give up!

Poor jaw, poor teeth!

#8 Post by **barbienightmare** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:59 pm

Lol !

wow I was sat on the loo earlier thnking how I would come on here at somepoint today and bring up the clenching thing too!

I didnt clench before my brace but now find my self constantly clenching and the sucking the saliva out of teeth thing ! im getting like jaw ache and feels heavey from it all, and I know what you mean by the dirty teeth thing, but I am slowly getting used to not immediaty dealing with it like pre B. ( I answered door last week and after looked in miror to see a peice of white fried egg going across about 3 teeth !! eKKK!

nights the worts I wake up doing it and griting hard I hate it !
and dribbling too ! lol !

, the thing is we all have a little pillow dribble at some point in our sleep , when asleep , and we tend to be able to know when we are dribbling when we arnt asleep , but no not me , I now dribble garunteed when i go to bed and sometimes b4 Im asleep , and I know this not because I can feel my self doing the dreaded deed but becuase its wet under my face then I go ..... Oh .. whoops .. when did i do that !!
lol!

surley I should know when its happening , Im a little warey of lieing on my boyfreinds chest now just incase !!

#9 Post by **Skinny** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 5:17 pm

ME, ME Im a clincher too!
At night and durning the day. I have TMD so VERY bad! I did it before braces and now even more so that I have them.

What can you do though?
You cant help what you do when you sleep.

#10 Post by **manglemouth** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 6:19 pm

Dont bite constantly together to see how your bite has changed.

Oh wow that is soo right on the money! I think you just figured out for me why I suddenly do this so much!

I am so glad I am not the only one!! At least there are quite a few of us here sitting in this boat with me

and I know what you mean by the dirty teeth thing, but I am slowly getting used to not immediaty dealing with it like pre B.

I hope that I get used to this soon too because I can't stop it. I do this ALL the time. Even now as I am writing this! I tried drinking lots of water to keep my mouth refreshed but then all I do is suck the water out between my teeth

I just can't seem to get used to the feeling of "stuff" on my teeth. I am sure with time I will...it's only been two weeks. I just hope it stops before my overjet gets even worse!

#11 Post by **becks** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:09 pm

I'm here for the clenching party. This is a pretty new thing for me. I know I've done it whenever I've had tooth pain or gum aches but since I got my spacers put in on Wed I have been doing it ALOT. First I think i was doing it to get used to the feel of the rubber...maybe trying to squish it down or something

But today, my teeth are pretty sore and I though when I clench my teeth it makes them hurt more, when I stop clenching I get this brief...very brief..relief from the ache. Note to self: Must make a more concerted effort to stop clenching!