Tongue pressing front teeth while sleeping
 

Hello!

I'm new here :)

I have a problem with my tongue lately (couple of months).

Some times I wake up with sensitivity and a weird pain in my front teeth (I say weird because it isn't normal tooth pain causes by an infection, more like if I had fallen and hit my teeth). My teeth are also quite wiggly when this happens, they are not loose, but the normal movement of the teeth is clearly exaggerated.


After observing myself by waking up to check what I do, I've realized that the reason is most probably that my tongue rests and pushes against my front teeth while I sleep.

I've been to the dentist but by that time the teeth were quite firm again...for some reason, and she said "don't worry".

I do worry though, because it happens very often ( about 3 times/week) and I panic every time I see my teeth are wiggly again.

I didn't have this issue before, so it's not like my tongue is extra large or something. The only change in my life is that I suffer from anxiety and stress due to personal issues, so I guess it could be stress related.

Otherwise my dental health is OK, I try to take good care of my teeth.

Any advice? I'm really afraid of losing my front teeth one day, it looks really bad when they wiggle like they do.:(

Thanks a lot for your help!

Kind regards/Felicia

Hi Felicia,
Welcome to the NeuroTalk Support Groups!

I wonder if you're a mouth breather rather than a nose breather when you're asleep. My daughter's orthodontist explained to her that it was her mouth breathing that was causing a similar problem as you describe. If you breathe through your nose with mouth closed during sleep, the tongue is further back.

I don't know if it's that way for everyone, but it is for her. It was recommended that she wear a mouthguard and as she had problems with a polyp in her nose, she needs to get that seen to so that it isn't so difficult for her to nose breathe.

Welcome Felicia530. :Wave-Hello:

Hi Felicia,

The sensitivity, weird pain and temporary mobility of your lower front teeth upon wakening generally indicates a clenching/grinding of your teeth habit. As you clench down or grind your teeth your tongue pushes forward. If you do that enough times during the night, the pressure of the tongue against the teeth will make them feel mobile. The sensitivity is because the periodontal ligaments, which are like live elastic bands that surround the circumference of the root of each tooth in the jaw bone, become inflamed from the pressure against the teeth. If this habit continues, the nerves inside of the teeth will also become inflamed and eventually become sick and die. So this is something that needs to be addressed and cured.

Here is a great you tube video with experts talking about TMJ issues and treatment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0xkJNF0l_E


Hope this info helps.

Felicia, please do check into whether you're a mouth breather in your sleep as well. I was astounded when I found out the detrimental effects of mouth breathing on tongue posture during sleep.

take care.

Hello!

Thanks a lot for your response.

It's actually the top front teeth which are in trouble, my tongue moves up to the roof of my mouth and rests behind them and starts pushing.

I did had (maybe still have?) some issues with bruxism, although I thought it was getting better with some jaw relaxation/stretching I got from my PT. However it is possible I still do it and don't know about it.

The idea to put my tongue up was actually a dentists tip to reduce the clenching/grinding, but now it seems to have created another issue.

I will take a look at this video and update later.

Thanks again/Felicia

Hi Lara!

thanks a lot for the input. I think I sleep with my mouth closed actually, but I'm not entirely sure. Will have to ask somebody to take a look at me when I sleep and tell me.

I hope your daughter gets better from this issue as well!

I'll keep you updated!/Felicia

Pressing tongue
 

Came across your post while searching for explanation to my current pressing, scalloped tounge.
I too suffered with bruxim, loose & bleeding gums. When I went gluten free 25 yrs ago, then Paleo, no grains, I not only delayed onset of diabetes, but lost all gum pain, and also cavity pain in a mouthfull of repaired & unrepaired teeth cavities. Bryanna hints at the inflamation; - caused by cereals. Please see **
You mentioned your own stress. Last years stress brought me to Adrenal Fatigue. My anxiety attacks were brought under control with Magnesium. Even though I had taken Mg daily for years for improved energy my blood levels where rock bottom. For a while I had that temporary gum pain when I ate protein as Mg/calcium? was scavanged for digestion?
Mg is the anti- stress mineral, relieves cramps, anxiety. So important for most enzymatic processes in the body but very difficult to replenish by supplementation. Alcohol, caffeine, & insulin deplete Mg. Dr. Carolyn Dean explains the situation.
I hope you have found relief over this last year and my experience provides you with some tools for the rest of your life.
My current symptom is unresolved. I am treating gut dysbiosis with medication for Clostridium dificile & candida. I suspect 'toxic blood' from die off, [or the chemicals themselves] is involved.
Best of luck, you need it in todays whacked out medical fraternity, Andrew

This might be simplistic, but it might help, it helped me. My dentist gave me a Plackers Dental guard for my grinding. Also after using this disposable device my headaches abated, also my tooth pain. I stopped for a while and my headaches and severe tooth pain returned so much so I posted here about possibly losing my last, top right molar. A few nights of using the mouth guard and all is well.

Some dollar stores carry the Plackers night guard.