Is my mouth gettings smaller or am I just going crazy?!?!?!?

[legallylexi]

Okay so I have been in my braces for 17 months now, and I am noticing something, that I am trying to figure out if it is just in my mind. It seems like my mouth has gotten smaller. It is as if the more my teeth move to close spaces (I had 5 extractions-2 on the bottom 3 on the top) the smaller my mouth gets overall. Like I can't open it as wide and I can't fit as much into it as I used to-i.e. sushi is now a bit harder to eat, along with taking big bites of burgers. It is very weird and I am not sure if I am explaining it well enough for people to understand-but has anyone else experienced this?

Also, I have found out recently that I am biting my cheeks at night to. I have ground my teeth since the braces have been put on-but the biting of my cheeks are new-this started right around the time I started to notice-or think my mouth in general has gotten smaller-any advice on this would be great too.

Thanks!
Lexi

[legallylexi]

Thanks ladies, I will be calling my ortho tommorrow to ask him about it and I will be trying the salt water technique tonight.

[pokergirl]

Hi legallylexi

I know what you're going thru because I've just started experiencing it two months ago. I started grinding my teeth and biting the inside of my cheek. I also wake up at night biting on my tongue. It seems like nothing fits in my mouth anymore. Let me know what you find out.

[debonairdenise]

I thought it was just me, but I too think my mouth is getting smaller. I am no longer able to open my mouth as wide as I did before. I had my wisdom teeth removed a year ago today, so maybe this is why. I just saw my ortho on Tuesday, but I guess I will contact her about this. I thought that it was just a normal process from all of the movement and equipment (I have a lower expander and powerchains).

Let me know what your orthos says and I will keep you posted with my orthos response

Thanks,

Denise