Metal Mouth Message Board

WHOA!! When did that happen? I NEVER used to be a teeth clencher, or teeth grinder...and, suddenly, over the last two weeks, I've actually woken myself up, clenching my jaw!! I was clenching it so hard last night, it actually HURT! Glad I woke up! What's up with that?

I have bite turbo's/buildups...is this the reason? My bite turbo's are on the bottom, back teeth. When I wake up, I'm shoving that bite turbo right into the tooth with which it meets! Strange...very strange.

Anybody else experience this? Any advice on what to do about it? Or is it just something I'll have to deal with, during my treatment?

eagle

Its called bruxism. My mum's had it for ages. She's broken ALL her mouthguards which she wears at night to prevent her teeth from grinding. Apparently it can be triggered from stress...

But I've also read that changes in bite can sometimes either set it off in someone who did not do it before, or stop it in someone who used to.

I've been clenching my teeth recently too. I never used to do it. My bite is majorily off now and I think that is why I am clenching. It wakes me up too and makes the side of my mouth that I am clenching sore. It has switched sides too.

Mine is not as bad as yours but I've woken most mornings with my jaw clenched. Like you I never have done that; but now it's almost getting normal for me! The weird thing is that my bite currently is awful, half of my teeth don't even touch...so for me to wake up with it clenched is really unusual. I'm going to talk with my ortho about it....

Thanks for the replies!

I will be talking to my Ortho about this. It's just so...well, so strange. I never thought I'd start clenching my teeth. My bite is so far off, especially with these bite turbo's. Plus, I didn't have a great bite when I started. And, yes, it does change. One night, I'll feel it clenching on the left...then the next night, it's on the right side. It's almost like my mouth is trying to get my bite to line up! Like I said, it was just a little strange to me. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I'm just concerned that it might cause some problems with progress.

I don't feel like I'm under any undue stress. I'll definitely ask about the mouth guard. And, when I know, I'll pass on what my Ortho says.

Thank you everyone! There are some really good people on here!

If there's anyone else with this situation, please share your experience! It really helps!
eagle

Part of the reason I had to get braces was to reduce damage I was causing with my TMJ in my jaw. I had been using a splint at night to try to prevent the clenching and I always had headaches. Since the day I got the extractions, two weeks ago today actually, I have not clenched once.
My ortho had told me this is often the case with TMJ patients, and usually once the teeth are corrected, the smptoms do not return.
If you are having complications now, I would say that is a good reason to talk to your ortho, because treatment is supposed to be able to help something like that.

when I first got my braces, I became a clencher and even broke my molar band one time but it eventually went away after about 6 or7 month...