Metal Mouth Message Board

What was the experience like? Did it cause problems post surgery?

I have not had surgery but I am trying to avoid it like the plague!! Good luck and I hope that it helps you!

I "clench" at night. I don't wear a guard or anything. I don't think it caused any problems for my SARPE surgery, and I'm up to have a BSSO next week, so I'll let you know how that goes. I did have a few moments in the weeks following my SARPE that were a bit disconcerting where my lower jaw had a spasm and suddenly clenched. That was really uncomfortable. Not necessarily that painful, it just felt wrong. Maybe it was the pain meds, maybe it was nerves coming back on line, I'm not really sure. But it didn't cause any problems. I'll report back if my surgeon says anything about clenching/grinding at night or if I have any personal experience to share.

I had major bruxism at night prior to surgery (I woke my husband up at one point...not good). I talked with my surgeon about it prior to surgery, and he assured me that my joint would be so weak, that I wouldn't even have the chance to clench or grind. Sometimes having an incorrect bite can be the cause of the bruxism (though I am also a stress clencher). So, if your surgeon does well, hopefully that will eliminate/reduce the bruxism. If you stress-clench like me, I try to do some relaxation/meditation stuff prior to falling asleep. And honestly, I am 6 months out of surgery, and have not woken up with the tell-tale headache, and am pretty sure I haven't been clencing or grinding since the surgery. Hope that is helpful information!

I should also mention that I am wearing all kinds of rubber bands, per orthodontist orders, which I think would make it more likely that I would clench, as they hold my teeth together quite intensely - but still, I'm pretty good.