anyone have TMJ or tooth clenching?

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maxwell_smart007

maxwell_smart007

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Has anyone ever dealt with TMJ?

I have been going insane...my teeth are worn almost flat in the back from nocturnal clenching, so I was fitted for a mouthguard. It has been terrible, and gave me awful headaches, jaw pain, and tooth pain, and I think it's moved my bite and caused me to clench more.

It's also caused my teeth to hit soundly when I talk - which is odd, as I've been wearing them down from grinding - seems like they've worn down even more in the past month (or I'm just hypersensitive to it now). No one seems to know what to do next.

I'm about to lose my mind - it seemed fine before I started trying to fix the issues...sometimes it's best to just leave things be, I guess!
 
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I wear a mouth guard at night due to grinding. It does feel like things move around every now and then. I soften the guard each night in a cup of hot water before sticking it in, otherwise it would be a long and painful night.
 
I also got a sports mouth guard and used it for many years. It took a lot of getting use to. Now I wear a breathing nose piece for sleep Apanata (sp?) and leave the guard out. The wife says I don't snore anymore and I wake up after having slept sound most nights.

Grinding your teeth is not a good thing. Hope it gets better for you soon.
 
Sleep apnea really sucks.... getting a good night's sleep is important for your body to regenerate and heal from the daily grind (no pun intended).

I hope you guys can get these problems worked out .... for me, the trick was just to change my sleeping position. Problem is, now I can't get to sleep in ANY other position anymore... lol!
 
I have sleep apnea and was diagnosed with not breathing 40 times an hour during the night. This was corrected with a REMstar unit to force my breathing during the night. Its not for everyone as it takes getting used to. If you have this condition you need to go to a professional sleep apnea shop. HOWEVER, this is not the problem Andrew is referring to. My daughter has TMJ and it is very painful. You need to see a dentist who specializes in TMJ or an orthodontist. There are professionals out there i.e. naturopaths, acupuncturists etc who can treat the problem. This can be a very expensive proposition to fix and sometimes the treatment does not work. Get several professional opinion on your condition. I am not an expert on this condition but having done some research with my daughter I know that you must be careful of the so called quick cure. Ask a dentist first what options are open to you. Regards Darrell
 
Now this may sound a little far fetched, but this was my cure. I clenched my teeth so bad that they would shatter or break pieces off. The hinges on both sides of my mouth hurt so bad I could hardly eat without pain. I tried the mouth guard, but found it only added to the pressure. My dentist friend suggested that when I went to sleep at night, to place the tip of my tongue between my teeth. Now when you clench down you put pressure on your tongue and this will cause your jaw muscles to relax. Sounds to simple to be true, but it works, and it won't cost you a dime to try it !! Jim S
 
Get to a professional that treats TMJ. I got to the point that I could barely eat. Jaw popped with every bite. I wore an appliance during the day for a long time, still wear one a night. I found that I clenched my teeth when I was doing critical processes. Learned to place my tongue up against the inside of my top teeth, it's a trigger to get me to relax my jaw. The professional can actually build the appliance to reposition your jaw. I also broke some teeth during the worst of it. All healed now, no issues at all.
 
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