New Problem

[KissMyGlitz]

Hi I've had my braces (ceramic) on for 3 weeks today... hooray!

Well now my bite is crooked. When I bite down my teeth on the right kind of touch but not correctly and on the left there is a gap wide enough to put my tongue through. Prior to having my braces all my teeth met and lined up.

Secondly, now I find myself clenching my teeth when I sleep. I wake up with my back teeth on the right side (which meets) sore. Does anyone else have this problem or any suggestions?


Thanks in advance :)

[catgyrl]

Your bite is going to be crooked/off for a looooong time during your bracing, I'm afraid. Your teeth need to move around in order to get to their correct position, so what you're experiencing is absolutely normal. It will work itself out alright.

I tend to clench when I sleep, too; moreso since I started wearing elastics (18 months now). Let your ortho know just to make sure you don't need a night guard, or anything. If it's just clenching, it should be okay.

[AM21]

Hi KissMyGlitz! Congrats and welcome!

As far as your bite being crooked, it's normal for your teeth to misalign while being in braces. It's the "gets worse before better" stage. Your bite will start looking better soon. Sometimes after an adjustment, my teeth no longer touch and my bite is off, it's all apart of the process.

Clenching with braces is normal too, your teeth are trying to adjust to your new bite. Just hang in there, things will get better.

[KissMyGlitz]

Thanks a billion for the reassurance.

I guess I just didn't know what to expect. I'm still excited and since its normal I can live with it.

Thanks Cat and AM!

[batwing]

Like the others said, both are totally normal! I am also clenching on my right side, and my right is the side that is closer together than the left.

For clenching at night the only thing I found was sleeping on my opposite side. When I clench on my right, it helps me to sleep on my left side. It may be that sleeping on the opposite side reduces the weight on my jaw I have no idea! I still clench but not quite as bad now that I started sleeping on the other side.

[KissMyGlitz]

Never thought about the way I sleep. I sleep on my stomach... Hmmmm.

I will try to sleep on my left.

[TMJJill]

My bruxing got bad after I got my braces. My bite is way off and I'm going to be in that "in between" stage for much of my treatment. My orthodontist helped my muscles "relax" more with essential oils and by using ultrasound (part of my braces treatment package). I also see a PT who does trigger point releases of my masseter and pterygoid muscles in my mouth for when the tension gets bad too. My lower jaw falling back when I sleep also makes it worse so I've been wearing elastics from my back lower molar to my top canine since soon after I got my braces. So far the bruxing is under control. I get my lower braces in a couple weeks so i might be going through the same problem all over again.

[xanidu2012]

My right side bite is way off since being braced. I now sleep on my left side so it doesn't feel like I have lock jaw when I wake up in the mornings. So far so good

[batwing]

My right side bite is way off since being braced. I now sleep on my left side so it doesn't feel like I have lock jaw when I wake up in the mornings. So far so good

I'm glad to hear someone else does this! I was thinking I was just making things up about it helping.

[KissMyGlitz]

Thanks everyone! I feel so much better knowing my situation is normal.