Gum Trouble--Clenching teeth out of my head

[rebstem]

Hi..
New to this forum.. I am glad I found this.. I thought I was the only one facing dental issues at a young age. I have TMJ which is a result of all of the clenching I do at night when I sleep.. I am slowly damaging my gum line everynight. My teeth and gums hurt everyday and I have had 3 gum grafts already. My gums are receeding again and hurt!.. Does anyone have this problem and what can be done about it? I have not found many people who have the gum issues I have. I think I am headed for dentures at a young age and really scared about it. Anyone else clench their teeth at night???\

 

[Stress Doc]

Hi Rebstem:

Welcome to the forum

Sorry to hear about the dental issues. Constant pain can wear you down. Jaw Clenching and tooth grinding can be symptoms of Bruxism. This is primarily a stress related disorder. It can be a component of anxiety.

The dentist can make you a night guard which can help relieve some of the pressure.

There are also behavioral techniques for stress reduction that can be helpful. Have you been to an maxillofacial specialist to get a diagnosis and treatment options?

If the condition has a high stress/anxiety component it can be treated with good success.

Blessings

 

[plardo]

Hi..
New to this forum.. I am glad I found this.. I thought I was the only one facing dental issues at a young age. I have TMJ which is a result of all of the clenching I do at night when I sleep.. I am slowly damaging my gum line everynight. My teeth and gums hurt everyday and I have had 3 gum grafts already. My gums are receeding again and hurt!.. Does anyone have this problem and what can be done about it? I have not found many people who have the gum issues I have. I think I am headed for dentures at a young age and really scared about it. Anyone else clench their teeth at night???\

Hi rebstem,

When I started to grind/clench my teeth .. it hurt like a lot! I went to an orthodontist and recommended a custom-made/boiled night guard. He told me it would cost like $300-400.00!!!! I went online to search for more affordable night guards. I read reviews on Dentek/Splintek/Doctor's Brand and they seemed okay. I needed something quickly during that time .. because I was fearing TMJ. I finally found a company by the name of 'TotalGard'. They had some great night guards. I am still wearing my 'StressGard' and my grinding is no longer with me. I hope this helps.

- Plardo

 

[Razzle3]

Hi Rebstem and welcome.

I'm sorry to read of your tmd pain. I can sure relate since I've been battling it for the last 5 months. My case, I've always had a degree of limited opening and in the words of not too happy hygienists "a very strong jaw," but had never experienced or even heard of the tmj's until a prolonged period of dental work. I will be seeing a tmj specialist (Orofacial dentist) next week.

I wanted to offer you support and recommend your seeking out a specialist as well or at least have a compassionate dentist take a look.

Good luck, take care, and you've come to a great place in these boards. Keep us posted and have a wonderful weekend.

Mona

 

[Dr. Shirley]

Hello Rebstem,

welcome! Great to see you posting on here.

Many many people have gum recession, the main difference is the degree of recession. And it sounds like you are taking positive steps to improve that.

I do recommend having someone take a look at your bite. Someone trained through the Kois Center could be a place to start. They teach dentists to look and help in how your teeth comes together in greater detail... to help with the effects of the teeth wearing down and gum recession due to grinding/ clenching due to a misaligned bite.

That being said, a nightguard is a partial solution... in that many people are clenching not only at night... but also during the day.

I personally believe that stress and anxiety are a core cause of bruxism/ clenching. and the dental treatments are great but if the clenching continues then it is still putting excessive pressure on the teeth, causing gum recession and the teeth to wear down.

Notice during the day, if your teeth are clenched. Are they clenched when you're concentrating on a work project or a uncomfortable situation? or is it only at night.

so my recommendation is this:
1. get a further consultation (preferably by someone who has add'l training in the area of occlusion)
2. discuss the option of a nightguard with them or what other treatment options there are to better align the bite.
3. go to the root and find ways to lessen stress/ anxiety with meditation/ breathing techniques, yoga, etc.

I believe that your desire to have healthy teeth and the steps you've taken to get treatment thus far .. will go a long ways to having your teeth for a long time to come. Keep up your quest.

best to you.
Dr. Shirley