Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi guys. It's been a long while since I posted. I've been doing well with my braces and have been in elastics for about 2 months now. The large gap I have up top is closing remarkably fast and I'm please with my results.

I am, however, an adult tongue thruster . I don't thrust much during the day, but I am discovering just how bad I thrust while I sleep. I've been waking up each morning with my teeth clenched and my tongue thrust through the remaining gap of my overbite. It's actually quite painful and has caused me to develop groves on my tongue. Given how hard I'm thrusting, I'm surprised the gap is closing and the overbite is being reduced!

Does anyone else have this problem? And is there anything short of a tongue gate I can use to help prevent me from doing this?

Thanks!
Julia

Funny that. I was just thinking this morning. I woke up twice last night with my teeth clenched. This made them feel a bit sore each time. But I have never clenched teeth before in my sleep so why now?
Not yet tongue trusting for me tho so I can't compare with you. I am only 5 weeks in the braces world so don't know what to expect next.
Hope you find good advice and if you do pass it on to me please.

I am a tongue thruster too. I'm not sure if I do it in the night (although I do clench my jaw and that's agony) but I do it every time I swallow. I'm really worried that this will encourage relapse after my treatment is complete but have no idea how to stop it. If anyone has any hints/tips I would also be really grateful to hear them.

Hi there,

I was a tongue thruster too (caused an open bite). I went to the speech therapist and had to do some specific exercises. Well - it helped and wasn't painful at all!

Good luck with your treatment, Tess

You are looking at a professional night time teeth clencher turned tongue thruster. I do it all. I think if there is too much pain for clenching I resort to the next best thing, tongue thrusting. I can't wait to get my braces off so that I can go back to my wonderful nti device. It really helps the clenching. I think with that thing on, I thrust though too. This is why I will be wearing a retainer all the rest of my life.

BTW, I heard that the clenching and bruxism stuff starts to wind down after age 45. I sure hope it is true!

This whole clenching thing is what got me into this mess in the first place!

Hello everyone. Should the tongue be on the roof of your mouth or behind your front teeth? I hopes this makes sense.

Qtgirl wrote:Hello everyone. Should the tongue be on the roof of your mouth or behind your front teeth? I hopes this makes sense.

In it's relaxed state, it seems to sit just behind the lower front teeth, but it touches the roof of the mouth towards the back.

Thanks for that info swan. I have some retraining to do.