Teeth Clenching/Grinding Affects TOS
 

my PT is having me get a mouth guard at night for teeth grinding/clenching. i believe i am just a clencher. she said this tenses the scalenes (in addition to all the rest of things that do).

interesting.

That happens quite a bit. Some even have TMJ symptoms.

i actually think my tmj pain is worse more constant than my tos

i really need to find a mouth guard, what brand did u get

This makes so much more sense now. I was told last spring (2011) that I had TMJ- also clencher. I was looking into the night guard as well. I put it off as I had maxed out my Flex medical account. My jaw would get really tight and then with slightest movement it would crack so loud an entire room of people would stop. It sounded like a breaking bone. Then symptoms went away and I kind of forgot. Until very recently- last few weeks pain has also started back up. I wonder how connected they really are??

good news folks!

i bought the only one that Target had, which is a really cheap but REALLY GOOD one! (it is called "up and up," which is their store brand one). I just tried it last night!

Keep in mind that years ago my dentist made one for me using the shape of my teeth. He gave me one that completely covered my entire upper teeth. IT SUCKED! I wanted that thing out of my mouth every night! OUT OUT OUT!

This one I bought at Target is really SIMPLE! It does not cover your entire mouth! It is only two small flat pieces that go between your mollars (so they cannot go down on each other). They are connected by a small long piece that wraps around the front of your teeth. You can wear it on the top or the bottom. I paid like 12 bucks!

I tried it on the top but I hate things on the top. I kept trying to push it out.

I tried it on the bottom and it settled i nicely!

I was salivating for like 10 minutes but that finally went away.

I eventually just stopped trying to clench and relaxed myself with an open teethed mouth.

I can feel today that it did good for me! And it stayed it all night!

Only problem is that my mouth is very dry probably for keeping it open.

But I like this one. I hated the dentist $100 one.

woo hoo!

I do believe i have one another battle against TOS! Your days are numbered TOS!

heybro...love your posts

I have one from the dentist that sits in front two teeth. It fits real nice and does not fall out..I have had it for a few years now.

TOS also causes teeth clenching/grinding...and round and round we go! ;)

Does TOS cause teeth grinding or is it the other way around? I have a hard plastic one from the dentist that cost me $500! I never wear it .I will check out the Target one!

To add on to everthing else I think I might have sleep apnea,I keep waking up at night with a snore and a jerk. Or it could be that I took a Relafan and a Flexeril last night and did not take my regular antihistimine spray. I wonder if one of those pills has caffeine in it?

Just my experience:

My TMJD, clenching, and grinding seemed to be directly related to neck tension. After muscle relaxers stopped having any effect Valium was the only thing that helped. The Dentist wanted $500 for a custom guard but amazingly it all went away temporarily when my surgeon gave me a course of Toradol. After rib resection surgeries, I haven't had any further TMJD or grinding. I do still have to be careful not to clench when I am concentrating heavily on a task.

I've read some surprisingly good things abouts otc mouth guards. So glad I didn't coughh up 1200. What a ripoff

When my neck was at its worst it gave me slleep apnea.

It is a circle.

After wearing the thing for two days, and thus not clentching at night, I no longer clentch during the day!!!!!!!!!

My therapist also said that if you clentch during the day, you will clentch at night.

So it is a cycle that we can all break free from!

I hated the custom one cause it covered every single tooth and I hated that bulk in me. The Target one is only a small piece that lays on the top of just your mollars and a very small tube runs around your front teeth to hold them in place. It is so much less obtrusive. And only 12 bucks!

I just got a night guard similar to what heybro described. Slept great! Much better than normal. I usually wake up multiple times a night...maybe it was the clenching...? I only woke up once- it stayed in place and wasn't really noticeable. I'm so glad I didn't get the $500 version from my dentist! Thanks Heybro!

Also see if your PT can work on your scalenes and your neck, it makes a huge difference! I don't grind much for couple nights after my PT works on me. Thanks for the Target night guard idea, will definitely give it a try.

omg omg omg i am so inspired by this thread. trying to find up and up on the interweb

putting my big thumb under my two front teeth feels really good so i know my tmj is bad

i really need braces, my overbite is HUGE but i am scared :(

http://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=m...all+categories

is it one of those?

Nti
 

I have an NTI mouth guard that I got through my dentist ($350). It just fits over my front 4 teeth on the top and keeps my jaw from clenching down. I really like it. It fits very snugly and I can feel that my muscles are more relaxed when I have it in.

i notice that the one i am using, does not stop me from clenching. i just clench on the plastic thing now. anyone know of one that actually stops you from biting down? is there such a one?

Maybe its too small? My understanding is that clenching happens once the molars touch. If the plastic part is not fully keeping them separated that could be the cause. Just how my dentist explained it to me last year. May be worth trying one slightly bigger?

I am constantly trying not to grind my teeth!
 

Hi everyone, I am constantly trying to stop grinding my teeth, particularly when concentrating. My jaw is always sore when I wake up in the morning. And literally 10 times a day I catch myself doing it. Must look into it more. Thanks so much for this thread.
Ans x

My clenching/TOS/bite guard experience
 

I have TOS-cribs, and I clench. My dentist urged me to go for a custom made bite guard-which I spent big bucks on and while it may protect my teeth, it makes the clenching worse. I think I am consious of the bite guard and for some reason it makes me tense up and clench more as I sleep. I have tried rubber/plastic guards from the drug store-no help. That has been my experience.:(

Exactly. Clenching is a muscular action--the jaw muscles contract. A normal guard will help protect your enamel, but it can't do anything to stop your muscles from contracting.

I did come across a mouth guard that claimed that because it only covered the front teeth, it inhibited the degree of clenching by the back jaw muscles. The text was somewhat convincing, but I didn't know for sure. I lost the reference, but it must have been the NTI product that JR1977 because his/her statement matches up what I read.

So that's one option that looks legit.

For me, I found substantial relief through "The Quieting Reflex" by Charles Stroebel. I do a QR every time I clench my jaw or experience any other stress cue like temporalis pain, neck tightness, intercostal spasm, stressful thoughts, etc. Anything. A QR takes 6 seconds so if you do 150 of them in a day, that's only 15 mins. The genius here is that you are interrupting the stress responses with relaxation responses. This is why my TMJD no longer gets out of control. The other genius element is that it's easy to comply with--it's short and requires no tools.

Stroebel claims that if you keep it up for months then (a) it can become automatic during the day and (b) it can kick in during sleep. For most of his patients, it took 4 - 6 months to reach the automatic stage. I'm committed to getting there.

In the mean time, I'm already getting benefits. I noticed some mild improvement on the 2nd or 3rd day.

Also, Murray Grossman has a book on stress with some specific info on TMJD and tinnitus, but I haven't had a chance to delve into it yet. Him and Stroebel both point out that biofeedback devices are a legit means to reduce tension, but that it's difficult for patients to keep going back for appointments. Stroebel's response is his QR program. Grossman's is using a mirror as the biofeedback device which he claims is as effective as using the devices.

HTH

i don't seem to clench as much anymore. i think those few weeks with the bite guard, helped me.

i started clenching on the guard but now that i do not use it anymore, i don't think i clench anymore.