Help with grinding teeth?!
Question: I grind my teeth at night unknowingly. I can't afford a dental guard from the dentist. I tried an over the counter one and I wore it one night and when I woke up the next morning my jaw hurt so bad, it hurt to open and close my mouth (i have NEVER had that happen before). What can I do to help the grinding, if anything, before I ruin my teeth!?? Is that Colgate Luminous toothpaste good for tooth grinding or what? Thank you!
Answers: I grind my teeth at night unknowingly. I can't afford a dental guard from the dentist. I tried an over the counter one and I wore it one night and when I woke up the next morning my jaw hurt so bad, it hurt to open and close my mouth (i have NEVER had that happen before). What can I do to help the grinding, if anything, before I ruin my teeth!?? Is that Colgate Luminous toothpaste good for tooth grinding or what? Thank you!
The best option for you is a mouthguard, or the technical term, bit splint, made by your dentist. I know the cost is outrageous! Some insurance companies will cover 1 per lifetime (of the hard guard). The office I work in has 2 options, a hard bite splint, usually costing around $500.00, or a soft bit split, costing around $100.00. We take molds of your teeth for the soft guard too and make it in our office. It's made of a material that is thicker than a bleach tray, but pretty much made the same way. A lot of my patients choose this, mostly because of cost, and they do work better than the store bought, 'boil and mold' mouthguards. You will have to replace the soft guard more often, since it's a softer material and you will gradually grind through it over time.
The store bought molds aren't the best because they aren't very custom to your teeth, and can cause other TMJ issues. It sounds like you are already experiencing some of those. If a patient of mine looses a bite splint, I do recommend them getting a store bought one temporarily if they can't go without their professional one for a few days to a week (depending if it's made in office or if they have to send it to the lab).
It is important for you to get a mouthguard, especially if you have a lot of wear on your teeth. You are grinding off enamel, and with loss of enamel, you can get sensitvity, can get decay more easily through the thin enamel, more prone to chipped teeth, especially in the front, and you can even ruin your plane of occlusion (a fancy word meaning losing function of your overall bite). Some of these things like chipped teeth can lead into more expensive fixes in the future like crowns or veneers to restore the chipped, thin teeth. Sometimes people grind through the enamel, into the dentin (the second layer of the tooth), and even into the pulp chamber (that contains your nerve and blood supply), which would lead to a root canal, and most likely crown. Those 2 things would be expensive, like a $1,500.00 tooth! I have also seen people grinding so hard that it will irritate the nerve in a particular tooth and lead to a root canal that way. Not because of wear into the pulp chamber, but chronically aggravating a tooth, and the nerve can only take so much brunt until it turns into an abcess.
I'm not trying to give you the scare tactic, but I am just pointing out how important bite splints are to people to grind or clench. I know it is expensive, but as one other person said, talk to your dentist about a payment plan, or see if they offer the cheaper custom soft guard. If you have insurance, find out if they cover a hard guard at all. It's worth checking.
When you do get a guard, it will take some time to get used to it. It will feel odd at first, and you will probably find yourself waking up and taking it out at night, but don't give up. As I say it, people get 'married' to they guard and can't sleep without it once they get used to it! Not to mention it does save your teeth, occlusion, TMJ joint in the long run, and it will save you money in the long run too for saving needs for bigger restorative work in the future.
No toothpaste or swish, etc. is going to help your grinding or 'fix' any worn areas of your teeth. Once enamel is worn away, it's gone. Toothpastes like that are good for enamel that is weakened (by the early signs of decay or decalcification), because it can help remineralize the enamel. That means it's basically re-strengthening enamel that is already there, it won't build up any more enamel. Some toothpastes like that can help with sensitivity too, so if you are having sensitive teeth to cold or sweets, try Sensodyne toothpaste, or Colgate or Crest for sensitive teeth.
Check with other dentists in your area too for costs, etc. Each office is a bit different. Good Luck!
Talk to your dentist office and tell them your problem and ask if they can put you on a payment plan. The dentist will create a guard for your teeth from a specialized mold - - - fitted just for you. And when you have dental work done, take the guard with you - - - he should make adjustments to the guard for free. I've had my guard for at least 10 years and it is still great. Trust me, if you want to prevent future problems, you'll work with the dentist and make payments to get the right thing for your mouth.
After I had children, I suppose the stress contributed to my teeth grinding problem. Within a few years, my front teeth became thin - - - - you can shine a light behind them and see the cracks. The tooth guard works, doesn't make my mouth sore, but it does take a few nights to get used to.
I would try maybe breaking in the mouth guard, maybe wearing it for a little while around the house. Start with a half hour, try taking a nap with it. You should start to get used it it. But it has to be gradually.
I'de recommend the night guard the dentist makes for you. A lot of dentists take a payment plan called care credit. You could check that out, I think it's carecredit.com.