Bruxism (teeth grinding): Ideas for handling STRESS???
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free skin care · Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:52 am

I'm no different from most mothers/wives/workers in that I have to manage a fair amount of stress in my life. However, this year has been especially difficult – particularly with problems relating to my children (is there any greater Achilles' Heel for a parent?). My bruxism (in my case, jaw clenching as opposed to teeth grinding) has subsequently returned with a vengeance. I have a mouth guard but because I clench rather than grind, I wake myself up in the night from the sheer violence of my clenching and in the morning it is not unusual for me to start my days with the mother of all headaches.

So my question is twofold: has anyone been able to overcome bruxism-related problems by methods other than mouth guards? And, what are your more general stress-related tips? I eat well, exercise, don't smoke or drink alcohol or much caffeine ... beyond these things, I'm open, eager and grateful for any suggestions!

free skin care · Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:14 am

I had once done a thread on this a few years back when my son was in college. Both he and his wife now, were/are grinders although his has stopped.
I looked into everything I could find as he was grinding away his molars at an alarming rate.
Here's my small list of the top things that helped:
Taking magnesium helps in less severe cases for stress relief.
Mouth guards did not work for him ,although Jess uses one and it helps her when she remembers to where it, but she hates it!
My son did acupuncture and it cured his clenching/grinding/stress to the point of a good night's sleep with no grinding. I also did acupuncture for grinding, just a session and that alone did wonders. Jess hates needles so I have not convinced her to try it yet.
We were at the point of trying BOTOX on him (for severe cases) until we tried the acupuncture. We had even visited a neurosurgeon and scheduled an injection time until we decided that we would rather try the acupuncture and give that a shot rather than inject him with THAT MUCH BOTOX.
So there are remedies to try, such as relaxation techniques and such beyond the one that worked for us and solutions that are extreme for the extreme cases, which my son was.
I just googled and read and there is a lot of info out there.
Good luck with it and if I can help let me know.

free skin care · Wed Nov 11, 2009 2:08 pm

Thank you very much, AnnieR.

I only clench when I'm under enormous stress. So, until the things that are causing the stress are resolved (and unfortunately some of them are outside my control), I am going to have to look at ways to manage the stress better. Acupuncture sounds very interesting ... I had it once years ago (for something entirely different) and it worked. So maybe I should try again!

I too have googled bruxism ... lots of suggestions on treatments (some of them potentially useful, others rather cockamamy). So far, acupuncture and yoga appeal the most. Thanks again for your suggestions/support. Smile

free skin care · Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:33 am

Well it worked for my non-believing son!
Cranial massages can help too.

free skin care · Sun Nov 15, 2009 9:13 am

Actually i posted here once with a similar question and someone suggested Buspar - which Ive been taking ever since. Smile

I dont know if you want to take a medication. But I personally had no side effects. In fact, Im supposed to take it twice a day because I dont think its effects last as long as other anti-anxiety meds.

Anyway I take it at night and dont wake up with headaches anymore - from teeth clenching. The 2 times I forgot - the headaches came back.

I also have jaw tightness which I know has subsided as well.

free skin care · Sun Nov 15, 2009 9:52 am

May I ask what dosage you take and did you have any side effects, such as weight gain,etc.?
They had suggested a few different meds to my son, but he does not like meds that make him feel "disconnected" or out of it. So many do, which is why we had to go the needle route. After all I figured if he has a tattoo, he can do acupuncture.
I am glad to hear that has worked for you, bruxism can really destroy your teeth, to say the least.

free skin care · Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:00 am

Im taking 15mg at night only now.

I SHOULD say - the first dose I took (5mg) DID make me very outof it for like 15 minutes. I realized that if i took it on a full stomach I was ok.
When I increased the dosage I would take it at bedtime anyway so any immediate side effect wouldnt have been noticed.

I have had NO long term side effects AT ALL. This is just my experience of course...

free skin care · Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:31 am

mb935 - Thanks so much for mentioning this. I'm going to call my doc today to see if I can get a trial prescription. I have a terrible time with stress/anxiety and I know it's the main cause of my TMJ problems. Hopefully this will help me too!

free skin care · Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:29 pm

I saw on "the Doctors" today that botox is being used as well.

But finding a doctor who uses it in this way may not be easy - plus the cost!!

free skin care · Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:35 am

It was very expensive. Even after insurance (they did cover some of it), it was going to be about 2500.00 out of pocket.
It was also very hard to find a neurologist in our area. I had to do a lot of research. It is a very tricky area to have it put in.
In the long run, I am glad we decided to try the acupuncture first. My son was totally against the Botox, and we were scared of the amount that had to be administered. A little in the glabellar is one thing, that much in your neck area is very scary!

free skin care · Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:39 am

By the way, I forgot to mention that the most successful treatment for me has been the NTI device. This is a guard that is made specifically for grinding/clenching and is the only one in my opinion that works. That's because it sits between your front upper/lower teeth only, propping your mouth open slightly. This keeps all of the back teeth from touching and relieves the pressure on the jaw joints.

The only reason I look for other solutions (as an additional tactic, you will never find me without my NTI!) is because my clenching is so bad I "eat" through these very quickly. My oral surgeon said he's never seen someone eat through these as quickly as I do. They're solid acrylic and only touch my bottom two center teeth (it's worn on my two upper teeth), but I go cut through them in about a month. Confused

free skin care · Thu Nov 19, 2009 11:36 am

So sorry - I missed that you had already mentioned Botox.

BUT Im glad you mentioned the price - because I was considering it (especially since the show said your jawline can change for the better) but forget it now. Smile

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