Any other night time teeth grinders out there?

[LaLa]

Okay, my dentist just informed me that I grind my teeth at night. Now I have one of those night guards and I just don't feel pretty. I seriously think it could be considered birth control in its own right!

Anybody else have one? If so, how long does it take to get used to one of these things?

 

[poohandwendy]

LOL, (raising my hand)...I grind my teeth at night, or at least...that is what my DH used to say. He says I haven't done it for a while. I had a night guard. Don't ask me how, but I lost it. It seriously vanished into thin air. It took some getting used to, especially the crap that accumulates in it when you are sleeping...can I say ewwwww! But, they definitely work.

 

[poohandwendy]

They take at least a few days to get used to. No, they are not glamorous in any way.

 

[Towncrier]

I've worn one for at least the past 10 years. I only know because I am hard on my bruxism splint (mouth guard), having worn a hole in my most recent one in under 4 months. I think I really impressed my dentist because he is going to have it remade, twice as think, and he is NOT charging me for it. Good thing because my dental insurance does not cover bruxism splints. I have worn out 7 in 10 years.

Good luck with your mouth guard.

 

[SleepyMom]

My Grandma used to call out in the middle of the night from another room in the house for me to "stop that", so yes, you can say I grind my teeth at night Thankfully it does not seem to be as bad now as when I was younger because DH never complains. I also do it during the day.

 

[Stacerita]

I grind my teeth at night too. Not all the time though. Seems mostly when im stressed. I do have a night guard but I dont wear it every night. My bad. Found out I grinded my teeth after I kept having problems with my jaw. Way painful.

Sweetpea is also a grinder. I can hear it at night. We are workthing with the orthodontist right now with a retainer so can do a gaurd just yet. Its not that bad though and its only on occasion. But when she does, sounds like there is construction going on in her room.

 

[lazarru]

Both my wife and I have them. I can't stand it, of course I can't even stand have going to the dentist and having anything in my mouth. The first few nights I just able gagged using it, for next few weeks wound up spitting out during the night. It's gotten better now after about 2 months, but still seems tight on my teeth and the dentist has already loosen it twice

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I grind my teeth at night. I ended up with TMJ because of it. Blech.

 

[Sparx]

I grind mine, but not hard. Nothing damaging. Just like rubbing them.

 

[crazelion]

I have one to. That I got for the dentist. Then I decide a football mouth piece and works just as well.

 

[mcr5298]

I grind my teeth too! I have had a mouth gard for the last 5 years. Although I haven't worn it for the last 2. I just couldn't keep it in my mouth the first few months of both of my pregnancies. I should really find it and start using it again. And I always wind up waking up in the morning and finding it on the nightstand. I guess that I take it out on my own during the middle of the night! :lol:

 

[AMcaptured]

I have been wearing one for about 10 years now, I can't sleep without it in place. I have worn out about 3 of them now. I can only imagine the damage I would have done to my teeth without it. Most appliances can be used as bleaching trays also, you might want to ask your dentist about buying some whitener to use too!!! At least your teeth would be a luminescent white in the morning...

Oh and you put it in after you shut off the lights, not before!!!

 

[mtblujeans]

I don't think I grind my teeth so much as just lock my jaw. I "carry" alot of tension since I had a car accident years ago....I didn't used to tense up my jaw like I do now. They think that is how I broke the root of that tooth I just had pulled. I have to wear a 'mouth piece' at night to keep from damaging my teeth any more.

 

[minniecarousel]

I have a mouth guard too. I haven't used it in a while, but I use it when I either start waking up with mouth pain or DH tells me I'm grinding. (I can ususally tell when I need to use it!)

hehe - I use a leg splint for my plantar fasciitis for a month here-and-there too!

 

[momof1princess]

i've got a TMJ splint (looks like a regular orthodontic retainer) and my dentist says i grind my teeth at night. now whether or not this caused my TMJ (which is very severe), i have NO clue. i would never spend a night w/o my splint, no way, no how. i've had it for almost 10 years now and it saved me from the constant lethargy of having to take FOUR soma (muscle relaxer) each day just to barely take the edge off the pain in my jaws. i don't care how sexy it looks, if my DH doesn't like it, he can kiss my butt, lol.

 

[lyeag]

I don't grind, but more clench my teeth. I am sure it is stress related. Has anyone tried the guards you can buy in the store? Do they work?

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

DH and I both grind our teeth, and we both have mouth guards. The funny thing is that we each have a different dentist (his dentist shows up in a trailer at his work for a few days each month - mine is just a mile from our house). So DH gets his mouth guard, and it's nice and small - looks more like a retainer than a football-type guard. I'm thinking "cool! I can handle something like that!" No such luck - mine is HUGE! I think I sound like Darth Vader when I'm wearing it - only Darth Vader with lots of spit! Oh, and I totally drool when I'm wearing it. So not sexy, and so gross!

Yep, my mouth guard often ends up on my night stand instead of in my mouth...until DH elbows me in the middle of the night and says "put your mouth guard in - you're grinding your teeth!"

 

[janette]

My 14yo grinds and I keep forgeting to ask the orthondonist if there is anything we can do right now. She's in braces and wearing head gear and night but still grinding. We may have to wait until she's out of the braces, I was hoping it would help the grinding issue also. She's always ground her teeth, as a baby she slept with a pacifier, I took it away when she was 3yo and realized that the sound I heard was her grinding so I gave it back and it worked as her mouth guard until she decided she was too big for it. I don't think she'd go for one now either

 

[miss missy]

I started to when I was on meds. I grinded through 2 of them. My dentist made them in the office... they were comfy, soft and clear. He had me get one that was sent out to be made, that one is is blue and harder. I hate it! I don't grind anymore, but when I am stressed, I clench Thanks God it doesn't happen often anymore. I knew that the side effect of the med caused this, but I didn't know when going of the meds, that it wouldn't go away !

I just am lucky it hardly happens anymore!

 

[LaLa]

My night guard is actually one that I bought in the store. It just seems really HUGE even after the fitting process. Are the ones you get through the dentist smaller? Last night was the first night I tried sleeping with it and I was tossing it within the first hour. Will try again tonight. DH says maybe I should just wear it around the house for a few hours a day until I get used to the feel of it.

Not without the lights off, buddy!

I seriously cannot fit my lips around the thing.

I just switched dentists, had been going to the same one ever since I was young, and bc his office was flooded in the hurricane, he has not reopened yet. I started having some problems and had to find someone else pronto. The new dentist took one look at my teeth and asked if I grinded them. Apparently, I have tiny hairline fractures in ALL of my teeth because of it. I always wondered why I had a lot of problems with cavities, etc when I knew I was taking good care of my teeth...well I guess I have done a job on my enamel and that makes them more susceptible.

What exactly is TMJ? I have heard of it but not sure what it is. My jaw pops constantly. Could that be related to the teeth grinding?