Metal Mouth Message Board

For the past week or so I've been waking myself up in the middle of the night because I'm clenching my jaw. For the most part it doesn't hurt, but it's not exactly pleasant either. I'm going to bring it up when I go to the ortho, but that's two weeks away. I'm assuming that if it's a problem they'll give me a nightguard or something, but exactly how does that work with braces? Does anyone else have a similar problem?

Hi Nimo - I just got back from visiting my ortho because I bit one of my rear brackets off in my sleep last night. I woke up to this terrible popping noise. At least I was able to catch it before it went down my throat.

So today I asked the same question and she told me it's normal for an occasional adult to bite one off at night. She said that if it happens a second time, she'll recommend something, but she didn't say what. She told me it's also pretty normal for adults to clench their teeth if they're having a bad dream or something.

I do the same thing at night. I wake up and I realize I am clenching my teeth together- not grinding just clenching my jaw. I can't remeber if I did this before my braces or not- I never noticed it if I did it before. I am going to ask my dentist about it tomorrow when I go. I will let you know what I find out.

Same here. I never clenched or grinded my teeth but ever since the braces... I do it everynight.

Oh man! I clench at night. But I know that I did it just as much before I got braces. Now I wake up and I am grinding my teeth in FRONT! That drives me crazy because I know I have worn my teeth down in front and it is heart breaking. I can't wait to get my braces off because I know I will get an essix retainer and there will be no more damage.

In the mean time when I go to bed, before I go to sleep I tell myself over and over again not to clench or grind. Weirdly I think it may actually be working! I also tell myself that my teeth issues are healing and that is why I am in braces and I try to calm down my muscles in my jaw. I do all this before I go to sleep at night.

Clenching, yeah; grinding, yeah; I do both (though I wish I did neither!)

Did it before braces, do it still in braces. At night, during the day, even when I'm telling myself over and over not to, i'm still doing it! I spose you notice it more with the braces cos your cheeks and lips get kinda smooshed into the brackets and get braces imprints, and then THEY get sore too.

Teeth wearing down too, I've worn the top completely off some of the lower front ones, so you can see the edges of the enamel around the sides and whatever it is in the middle. Not very nice. Part of the reason I got braces in the first place.

B%&*@y clenching; there should be some kind of anti-clenching spell they can give you. Maybe there's an anti-clenching dance I could do?

Nimo,

It is a normal side effect from braces. Your body and mouth like to be in a balance. With orthodontics you are constantly changing the location of teeth and how they come together. So your body compensates by activating the muscles in your jaw to clench together. It sucks, but what can you do. Chances are you will not get a night guard because of the constant tooth movement. Your treatment should be short enough where there is not a worry about excess wear and tear. If you are really worried, you can alway stop by a local sporting store in your area and pick up an athletic mouth guard. It will not fit ideally and will be a bit annoying, but it may help alleviate some of the tension while you sleep.

Good Luck,
Rory

My treatment has another 26 months to go, including jaw surgery. I wouldn't even care about this, except it keeps waking me up. grrrr

There is a product called "Stressguard" by "Totalguard" that is a semi-formed silicone wafer designed to be worn by Orthodontic patients. My Ortho gave one to me. Ask your Orthodontist about it. I wear it every night. The only problem is I have to wear a chin strap to keep it in as I sleep with my mouth open at first, then clench later in the sleep process.

I went to bed last night feeling like something was different with my jaw and darned if I didn't wake up about 2 AM all clenched up. This is a first for me. It was so uncomfortable especailly since none of my teeth are lining up properly right now. I felt I had just undone what 5 weeks of braces were trying to accomplish. If this happens again I am totally getting some kind of bite guard. I feel for you.

Same thing's happening to me. It's horrible! I told my ortho and he made me a bite plane, which is basically a thick retainer that keeps my teeth apart during the night. He said I can't really wear a regular night guard with braces since my teeth need to move. I don't have to wear it during the day. It's helped tremendously with the problem.

I had never clenched my jaw until I got braces and now I do it all the time I am glad to hear I am not the only one. It sux others are suffering too but now I know it is not just me! I will wake up in the middle of the night and my jaw will hurt and I will realize I have it clenched shut! It is weird. I don't grind though. If I did I would know my husband would let me know...that sound drive him nuts! I hope you find relief

i have an expander in,and i have woke up in the middle of the night a few times from clenching/grinding.

my mom has one of those false thingys in her mouth (she has a few teeth missing)and she has been grinding her teeth at night,she didnt think nothing about it until she chipped a tooth and scrapped the enamel off another?i think thats how you spell it....lol