Clenching teeth. Does anyone else do this?

[raptor_rider]

I know it's stress, however I've noticed more lately, I've been doing it much more awake, than asleep. Maybe because I don't sleep much anymore, Lol!!
I have TMJ, and it's not helping, and my dentist thinks I'm too young to have TMJ. My mother has had it since she was 26, and I've had it since I was 23. I'm now 38, and the pain is not nice!!!
Think I need to see a new dentist???

[denbot]

1. I clench when I am fatigued, and stressed.

My dentist wants me to pay $450 for a night guard. I think I need a new dentist too.

[hollysmom]

2. you are not too young to have TMJ, I have had it since I was a kid.

as to clenching teeth. I had a very good dentist long ago, who did not like pulling teeth or root canals, he just wanted you to preserve them as best you could without spending a ton of money.
He suggested and it worked for me since I was a night grinder - to say out loud 3 times before Iwent to sleep - "I will not grind my teeth". In a few weeks, i stopped. Good luck.

[Adsos Letter]

3. Yes, but only when my wife asks me to repeat something for the third time...

[elleng]

5. 'Feels' about right to me.

Less painful than biting my tongue.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. Yup, I do that --

Have had TMJ since I was I my mid-20s. For me it is stress related and, now at 54, hormone shifts have made it worse. A night guard is not a bad thing at all to get -- I cracked a tooth and ground down others from the presssure.

[beemer27]

6. Bruxism

Look up Bruxism. It is probably what your problem is. I have had it since my teens (a long time ago), and have to wear a guard when I sleep. It is not what you might want, but will save your teeth and reduce the pain. Good Luck !!

[a la izquierda]

7. Constantly.

I know what you mean. I have to make a conscious effort not to.

[Blue Owl]

8. Only when Sarah Palin's voice is on TV

That grifter really gets the ol' choppers grinding...

[jen63]

9. I have bruxism too,

my dentist told me that once you start, it's almost impossible to stop. The headaches it causes are excruciating. I've found that no one wants to deal with it. The only thing that helps me is a valium before I go to bed. It's not really practical though, since most doctors don't want to keep you on it for long periods of time.

[Coventina]

10. Yes. I have bruxism so bad that once my jaw muscles froze up.

Horrible horrible pain.

I couldn't talk, eat, anything!

My best advice is to have a dental appliance made (sadly they are not cheap!) that you can wear at night or during a particularly bad daytime episode.

Mine cost me $800, but it is worth every penny.

If you have FSA or HSA they will be covered by that.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

11. I do when I get stressed/irritated. nt

[Brigid]

12. My mother had TMJ.

She attributed it to raising four kids.

[Samantha]

13. I have had TMJ since my early 20s

It was caused by the fact I have a small mouth but adult size teeth. There just was not enough room in my mouth for all my teeth! So my whole bite was disfunctional. I have a bite guard I sleep with at night, and I could not withstand the pain if I did not have it. So my particular problem was just caused by the way I was born.

Stress does aggrevate the problem. I clench my jaw whenever I am stressed. I have really been paying attention, and I have discovered I also clench when I am doing some manual labor, like mowing the lawn.

I too have not been getting enough sleep lately, and I think being in a constant state of fatigue makes tasks seems harder, so I clench when doing them.

So I vote for you to get a second opinion. You are not too young to have it. Additionally, any change in your bite, such as the loss of a tooth, for example, can put those jaw muscles into spasm-mode, which is extremely painful.

Good luck to you with this problem.

Sam