Grinding my Teeth

[bringmethehorizon♥]

I have recently had fillings done and I have always grinned my teeth. I don't want to mess the fillings up and have to go through numbing my mouth to put them back in again that's not fun. How can I stop I do it with out thinking?

[del677]

I go to the orthodontist and for fifty cents they have a U shaped "Therapy Wafer" I keep in my mouth, especially at night. prevents me from clenching my teeth while I sleep. I can also use it during the day.

I buy a bag full of them.

for a little more $ a dentist can make a bite plate. I think $50.

for $500 my orthodontist made me a retainer. (well it came with the braces package deal). but he made mine slightly special, knowing I clench my teeth, he made it so my bottom teeth actually hit the top retainer first, just before my teeth would normally touch. this helps prevent me from developing TMJ, which one can develop from clenching teeth.

so I can wear my retainer all day if I want so I don't clench. well I still clench just my teeth don't touch so it doesn't develop pain.

those are my ideas. I like the 50 cent U shaped flat wafer as a cheap place to start. I sleep with it at night. (they say it's flavored but they really aren't, unless "plastic" is a flavor).

Really, the only thing you can do for teeth grinding is get a mouth guard. However, if you are doing it during the day the mouth guard/bite plate won't do very much since they are hard to talk with. I was going to get one a few years ago but the dentist said the mouth guard would cost about $400 to make and then it might not even do much since I was grinding during the day and at times of stress.

That being said, in the USA (it might be different for you) you can usually get mouth guards in a store. They will not be as good as the ones you get from a dentist but they are usually cheaper. If you can get a mouth guard made from your dentist for $50 you should definitely do that though.

The thing I want to mention is that I go through periods of stress where I grind my teeth to the point of my jaw hurting. I have been doing this for years and I have never messed up any of the fillings I have had.

[merlinbennie]

A mix of genetic, physical, and psychological risk factors appears to be the cause of teeth grinding. According to WebMD, it's usually caused by a bad bite or missing teeth. However, tension, anxiety, sleep apnea, and a sleep condition can all lead to teeth grinding.

[WhisperingSilence]

Hey, I grind my teeth, mines due to one of my medications I take for my mental health, I have been given a gummy plastic retainer from my dentist which I am supposed to wear at night, I have a friend who has a retainer that is like pretty much similar to my one and she wears hers during the day, I think it varies from person to person... and when you tend to grind your teeth, personally if I had the choice I would choose to wear one at night just due to it being easier as in the day you need to like eat and drink etc. however I found wearing mine at night made me snore more, I think it might an idea to speak with your dentist etc and see what they suggest? I am sure your dentist will have a suitable solution that works for you and is not an inconvenience or an issue for you to wear.