#tooth grinding

[nimhead]

dentist / tooth grinding. gouache chalk ink + colored pencil

[tedloveshisbed]

As someone who grinds his teeth and clenches his jaw, sometimes out of stress but also as a general stim, I would highly reccomend a moldable mouthgaurd for those who do not like or have access to chew stim items like 'chewelry' chew necklaces. which I have previously and frequently bought in the past, but they get beat up pretty quick and an uncomfortable/dissatisfying shape that I can't fit into my whole mouth comfortably.

I do not know what brand my mouthgaurd is, but it's pretty common to see them in pharmacies and pharmacy sections of grocery stores. They are the kind where you use hot water to soften the 'neutral' mouthguard and place in your mouth/bite down to mold them to your own teeth.

Also for refrence, I have bought and used the prism shaped and the flat disc shape chew stim toys in the past. I do not reccoment the prism shape ones, the seams between faces will split and you'll end up with tiny bits of silicon in your mouth and the inside will feel hollow after it gets damaged. The flat disc chew necklaces are a lot stronger, but as stated above arent the most comfortable to chew on for me.

Here's some reasons why I like and prefer the mouthgaurd over the chewelry.

-fits comfortably in my mouth unlike chewelry

-ability to suction the mouthgaurd against my teeth for a nice feeling on my teeth/gums. (I dont know if i would reccomed doing this constantly as im not sure it's good for your teeth if overdone)

-mine is clear, so the daunting 'scarring' in darker colored chewlery (if you know you know) isn't visible and doesnt make me as paranoid of bacteria.

-easy to find and buy. stim toys, especially oral ones are difficult to find at in person stores

-generally inexpensive and last for a long time. they can also be remolded again at any time with hot water.

-more sanitary in my opnion, since mine came with a carrying case, in comparison to stim jewelry which may frequently touch your chest/shirt.

-less social stigma (also in my opinion.) there's nothing wrong with using chewelry publicly, but I personally feel uncomfortable doing so in public! It can also be a workaround/substitution for stim toys if you arent financially independent and need a parent/caregiver to do so for you.

[adultingautistic]

Hi, So, I grind my teeth really bad, especially at night. I’ve come to realize this is probably a stim that occurs as I’m falling asleep. I HATE my Nightguard and have never been able to find a comfy one. Do you/anyone else have suggestions because I’m tired of royally messing up my jaw but I HATE the plastic Nightguards.

Oh gosh, I feel you so hard on this one.  I am also a grinder.  A really, really, really bad grinder.  To the point that dentists started trying to get me to wear nightguards even in childhood, because I was already ruining my teeth at that young age.

And I hated them.  And I could never wear them.  I thought “If I just force myself to wear it enough times, I will get tired enough to sleep with it, and then I’ll get used to it, and eventually I won’t be able to sleep without it.”

I still think this is sound logic, but I was never able to do it.  I’d go maybe three weeks, and then one night I’d forget to put it in- and proceed to have the best night’s sleep I’d had in three weeks.  And not go back.

I currently have three different night guards, all given to me by my dentist. I can’t even tell you how many I’ve tried.  I had ones that were soft and squishy.  I chewed holes through them in days.  I had once that were hard, but thin.  I cracked them in a week.  

So my dentist gave me one that was really tough.  It was hard, completely inflexible, and really thick.  I tried it for awhile, until I’d chewed it to hell and bits of plastic started coming off it, which I was choking on and sent me into coughing fits.

So I feel you so hard.  

So when my dentist gave me this 15 billionth nightguard to try, I can tell you I was very skeptical. But I tried it, because my teeth are shot to hell.  I’m only 38 and I have...8? root canals? and 6 crowns, and two teeth that are just gone.  One I’ve replaced with an implant and the other one is just a gap (cause it’s a molar and no one sees it).  

But I tried it and...I can do it.  It’s not as bad as the others.  Is it because I’ve had so many worse ones, and I know this one is the least awful?  Have I finally become used to them after all these years?  Have my teeth ground themselves down into enough pain to make me want to wear it?  I couldn’t tell you.  The one that works for me is a squishy one- the kind I used to chew through, but I’m not with this one, for some reason.  Maybe I’ve finally trained my subconscious.  I don’t know.

So my advice is to just.  Keep trying.  Do it on and off.  Don’t wear one for awhile so you get a break and get some good sleep, then try another kind.  Try the fancy expensive ones from the dentist that are fitted to your teeth, try the cheap ones from the drugstore that aren’t, hell try sports mouth guards that are huge, try them all.

And in the end, if you can’t, you can’t.  I have resigned myself to the fact that my teeth are just going to suck.  I’m a chewer, I stim by chewing, and I’m a grinder, and that’s just a fact of my autistic life.  I’m constantly having to balance one bodily system for another- for example, how many samefoods can I eat before I get really bad IBS?  Once I get the IBS, then I force myself to eat vegetables and fiber and things I hate until it goes away, but then my mental health suffers terribly and so I go back to my samefoods.  Life is a balance, and you have to balance your mental health, and your ability to get good sleep, with the health of your teeth.

I wish I had a better answer for you.  If you ever find one, please tell me, because I sure could use it myself!  

Just please do NOT try anything that ISN’T an approved mouth guard, for fear of choking on it in your sleep.  

[intellibloghub]

Tooth Grinding: Treatments and Causes | Dental Care Somerset

Tooth Grinding can be provoked by sleep chaos such as sleep apnea, strain, disturb and is more likely due to an abnormal eat. Sometimes teet

Learn the common causes of nighttime tooth grinding (bruxism) and how it can affect your oral health. Discover effective solutions and treatment options at Smile Designs 101.

[alarici]

Staggers out of bed to fix contrast on draft sketch

[stupidthoights]

You know how spies have like a cyanide tooth? do you think they like check with a dentist beforehand to see if they have signs of jaw clenching and grinding first or they just wing it.

All I’m saying is that I would die immediately.

[onlineallureformula]

TMJ Relief Program

Christian Goodman has created a natural TMJ Relief Program that even helps people with the worst cases of TMJ. Imagine the tension melting away. His new, untraditional, easy approach is shaking up the TMJ (temporomandibular disorder) world. ... Read more >>

[pearldentistry]

New Post has been published on Pearl Dental Clinic

New Post has been published on http://www.pearldentalclinic.co.uk/cosmetic-dentistry-blog/physical-compulsions-linked-stress/

Physical Compulsions Linked to Stress

Over 45 million British people have taken a leave of absence from work in the last three years due to symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression showing the impact of such conditions on society today. Many sufferers show physical side-effects such as digestive problems or headaches but there are some little-known symptoms that you may not be aware are stress-related. The following are examples of habits or compulsions that may cause long-term physical damage.

Hair Pulling

Pulling your hair out or chewing the ends of it is often a subconscious reaction to something which is making you feel anxious. The behaviour is impulsive and the sufferer may also pull out hair on the head, eyebrows or eyelashes. This often results in feelings of relief. The underlying stress can be caused by several factors, but one of the most common is financial-related stress, particularly in older people who may struggle after retirement. You may need to seek help and find other strategies to cope with money problems which may ease the physical manifestations and prevent long-term consequences to your body.  

Teeth Grinding

Grinding or chattering the teeth is a compulsion which can occur during the day but more commonly occurs at night, during sleep. Research shows that there is a link between teeth grinding during sleep and stressors such as physical or work problems. Tooth grinding may cause headaches, jaw and facial pain and degradation or damage to the teeth. Inflammation of the gums is also a side-effect but these symptoms can be prevented by use of a mouth guard and appropriate dental advice. You may also need help in managing your stress.

Skin Picking

Many instances of skin picking go unreported due to feelings of shame or embarrassment from the individual. Stress and anxiety can cause someone to pick their nails, the skin around the nails, skin or scars forming on the body or they may pick or bite the lips and gums. They may pick or bite using their teeth. This will cause the skin to bleed and scar and can potentially damage the teeth if they are used to bite excessively. Finding out what triggers this behaviour with a medical professional can help you to avoid it.

  Symptoms like these often only occur during periods of high stress or anxiety but can last indefinitely and have a long-term impact on the body. You can prevent excessive impact on your teeth from these behaviours by getting appropriate dental advice.

Pearl Dental Clinic is open 7 days a week from 9am to 9pm. You can book an appointment by calling us on 0208 547 9997 or emailing us or booking an appointment online.