Molar Build-Ups poll-HELP!

[klobird]

Ok, so here's the deal....it will have been 3 months from bracing to actual 1st adjustment appointment. Before I got braces, I spent over $500 on a dental mouth guard to wear at night because I clench my teeth...real bad...I have fractured teeth due to clenching, even ending in root canals...

Obviously, I can't wear that mouth guard while I am in braces--it wouldn't even fit now.

My question is this--I know that I am clenching my teeth now more than ever...if I tell my ortho I am afraid he will put in molar build-ups--I feel like I would be asking for trouble that I do not want!

So, knowing that the build-ups would not be comfortable at all, would you tell your ortho and if so, would you tell him now or wait 5 weeks til the first adjustment appointment? Would you really tell him, knowing that you would end up in a really uncomfortable situation?

[Kipepeo]

That's a tough one. I clench at night and had just gotten a night guard, but it was so uncomfortable I never wore it all night. I don't think I could stand those molar build ups because pressure like that on just one tooth would kill me. I guess you have to decide which is worse...the clenching for the duration of your braces, or the possibility of molar buildups. I mean, maybe there's is another option that you don't know about without asking. It's always your choice. If your ortho highly recommended it, you could still decline. Maybe there's something you could wear only at night...but how since your teeth are on the move?

[klobird]

Hey Kip--Thanks for your reply--2 things I didn't think of---2yrs without something to control my clenching is a really long time. I did wear my night guard without fail, and it was actually more comfortable than clenching...the thing is, I clench during the day too. I get really involved in my job, which is super stressful right now, and without realizing it until after a while, I have been clenching the whole time...The other thing is asking about other options. Like duh Never even crossed my mind!!

So I have decided that I will muster up the guts to talk to them about it---I'm already spending too much money--and I already have a crown and a couple of gum grafts in my future, that I don't want even more fractured teeth etc...

I talked to my sister about it, and she has that mouthguard stuff you boil to fit your bite--the only problem is that I wear the elastics 24/7, so I'm not sure how that would work....

[drgnchsr36]

Ok, so here's the deal....it will have been 3 months from bracing to actual 1st adjustment appointment. Before I got braces, I spent over $500 on a dental mouth guard to wear at night because I clench my teeth...real bad...I have fractured teeth due to clenching, even ending in root canals...

Obviously, I can't wear that mouth guard while I am in braces--it wouldn't even fit now.

My question is this--I know that I am clenching my teeth now more than ever...if I tell my ortho I am afraid he will put in molar build-ups--I feel like I would be asking for trouble that I do not want!

So, knowing that the build-ups would not be comfortable at all, would you tell your ortho and if so, would you tell him now or wait 5 weeks til the first adjustment appointment? Would you really tell him, knowing that you would end up in a really uncomfortable situation?

Just an FYI, I have molar buildups and I clench probably more with them... probably because I find it so frustrating that I can't bite down all the way. But, I would talk to them and see what they say...

[pjacjac]

I feel your pain, I'm a big clencher and cracked right through a molar a few years ago.

I discussed my clenching issues(which are mostly at night for me)with my ortho and he suggested using a sports guard(the kind to boil and fit) and just cutting it to make it fit around my braces to protect my teeth. For me I found that those didn't work and went through many different styles for weeks trying to find something that fit and a lot of money too. I ended up using the Plackers Grind no More, they actually work for me, they are disposable(usable up to 3 nights-depending on how bad my clenching is) and the plus is I can actually sleep with them in. I say up to three nights because my bite is forever changing right now and some nights I can go through one in one night and others last the three days.

That works at night for me, can't really say much about during the day except some partial relief is probably better than none.

Ask your ortho too of course and good luck.

[klobird]

Hey thanks PJ---I did go to the ortho today because I had to get a pokey clipped, and I did tell him about the clenching.
So, they did give me a sports guard, and told me to cut it down to fit. I just got thru trying to do that. I know that I won't be able to sleep with that--it's gigantic for one thing (they should come in sizes or something), and I was major drooling.

The assistant didn't even think it would work, so before I even left the office she is going to order me some kind of mouth guard that she thinks might work better, but it will cost me $15. No big deal. Anyway, I am also going to look for the Plackers grind no more. I have never heard of it.

The other option, which the ortho alluded to having to use during my Forsus phase, is the bite turbos. The Forsus and bite turbos at once sound like having a hardware store in my mouth, but I have decided that I really want to do whatever it takes to take care of my teeth, and get them successfully thru the next 2 yrs. It's not the rest of my life....Oh ya, and I did ask if some people have elastics the entire time they are in braces (or the metal elastics Forsus). She said yes. hmmmm...ok then...like I said, it's not for the rest of my life (well, it would really suck if it is with me being 55!)

[pjacjac]

www.plackers.com is the website for the guard

ya the drooling really isn't fun with those things and not particularily attractive either