I am a patient of several night bruxism, but how do you guys monitor it like if you are improving or still doing it night or not, if yes then how long etc. ? My doctor gave me some antidepressant medicines and everytime he asks if it improved or not. I am be like well I am wearing a teeth cover then how am I supposed to know!
I keep biting pieces of my tongue in my sleep. My mouth is in so much pain and it hurts when I speak. The part that I bit is swollen so whenever I talk or go to sleep I end up biting the same part and it gets worse. It’s not even just my tongue; I’ve bit the side of my mouth so bad that you could see that a piece was missing, It took almost an entire month to heal. I don’t know what to do. I tried a diy mouth guard from the store but it would never stay in my mouth. Over the last few months my bruxism has gotten so bad 😭.
This is my current condition
- TMJ osteoarthritis / “bone-on-bone” contact
- Clicking on both sides
- Elongated styloid processes: 41 mm right, 38.4 mm left
- Bruxism
- Tongue tie so it’s contributing to a narrow palate
- My dentist when I was a kid removed 4 premolars 😭 Had braces for 5 years.
My OMFS surgeon proposed:
Phase 1 — 6 months
- Splint to decompress the TMJ
- PT
- Photo bio modulation/laser
- Ultrasound
Phase 1.5: Might fix my tongue tie if I’m still not okay by the 3rd month
Phase 2: braces 1-2 years
Note: my OFMS would refer me to an orthodontist
I’m hesitant about the plan because I’m worried that after spending 6 months stabilizing/decompressing my TMJs, braces could change my bite/joint loading and cause my TMJ problems to come back or worsen.
Does this treatment plan make sense for someone with actual TMJ osteoarthritis/bone-on-bone changes? I’m worried that my surgeon isn’t considering the underlying condition that much which is my airway problem and my Bruxism.
Has anyone went through this treatment plan? Was it effective? If anyone has had TMJ osteoarthritis
+ braces, did your joints remain stable afterward?
It’s very costly that’s why I’m hesitant 😭 Would love to hear your thoughts.
I have bruxism and an MRI showing degenerative/osteoarthritic changes in both TMJs. I don’t currently have jaw or headache pain, but I’m concerned that bruxism and muscle tension could contribute to my neck problems.
My orthodontic aligner treatment was stopped before the final stage, and my teeth/jaw seem to be gradually returning toward their natural position.
For someone in this situation, would a properly fitted splint be preferable to Botox for managing bruxism and protecting the TMJs? I’d especially like to hear from people who have tried either treatment.
This is just an anecdotal observation and I am wondering if anyone else saw a similar paradoxical effect after taking stimulants (often known to cause bruxism rather than cure it)
From my own experience my bruxism will often get worse when on too much stimulants (coffee / nicotine / and some, shall we say unregulated stimulants)
I would experience tapping teeth throughout the day and often wake up with a sore jaw and have broken one tooth from clenching in thr last year.
I recently got diagnosed with adhd at the age of 32 and I was nervous to take the meds incase they made my bruxism and insomnia worse. however it was interesting to find that adhd and bruxism are often linked
Paradoxically the opposite happened. I have been sleeping liking a baby for the first time in 20 years and my tmj issues have diminished (though not dissapeared)
The most likely cause of this for me is the stunning lack of anxiety since I have been on the meds. I often had racing thoughts as I was trying to sleep, that seems to be mostly no more. Throughout the day I have had a lot less intrusive and anxious thoughts.
I have realised how exhausting and anxiety inducing it is to have undiagnosed or medicated adhd and I think it is a large driver of my TMJ issues.
There is not much documentation of this unusual effect of stimulants on TMJ disorder online so I thought I would throw this out there for the reddit archive incase anyone else had a similar experience. I would be interested to hear if that was the case or perhaps there is another reason my bruxism issues have lessened of late
I love my dentist, he fixed and saved my teeth after a horrible infection. Causing me to have two crowns and one root canal (my endodontist is just as awesome).
**I got my teeth adjusted three times,** he’s very conservative. The bite still feels so off. I just got it done a couple of hours ago. I leave Monday across country.
I don’t want to mess with it too much because I do grind my teeth. He said he wants to wait until I get a mouthguard to take off more. How can I stop being impatient. I am
Moving across the country so I won’t see him until December. It’s so stressful.
I’m honestly at my wits’ end and hoping someone here has experienced something similar.
About 7 days ago, I woke up with significant pressure/fullness and muffled hearing in my right ear. It felt completely clogged and made me extremely disoriented. The sensation can get so intense that I feel like I’m not walking straight and like I’m losing my mind.
I went to my family doctor that Friday. He couldn’t see anything obviously wrong with my ear, but because of the sudden onset and muffled hearing, he was concerned about possible sudden hearing loss and told me to get a hearing test ASAP. Unfortunately, it was Friday and everything was closed, so he recommended I go to the ER.
At the ER, they looked in my ear and thought they could see some fluid behind the eardrum. They did a quick hearing assessment and said my hearing seemed okay. I was told to try things like steaming and measures to help open my Eustachian tubes.
My family doctor also flushed my ear that Friday. There was very little earwax, and flushing it made absolutely no difference to the fullness or muffled sensation.
Saturday: I woke up with the same severe fullness and disorientation. I tried steaming and massaging around my jaw/ear. I also bought saline spray and Flonase because I thought this might be Eustachian tube dysfunction.
Sunday: Same thing again. My ear felt completely clogged and I was incredibly disoriented. Saline spray and Flonase didn’t seem to do anything. I was so anxious and uncomfortable that night that I only slept about two hours and actually felt sick to my stomach from the anxiety.
Monday: I woke up and my ears were basically clear. Later that evening, however, the fullness came back. I couldn’t understand why it was fluctuating so much.
I contacted my family doctor again and he arranged an ENT referral. Somehow I was able to get an appointment for Tuesday.
Tuesday: I had a full hearing test and pressure testing/tympanometry. Everything came back normal. I had no hearing loss and normal middle-ear pressure. The ENT also looked carefully in my ear and did not see any fluid behind the eardrum or any significant earwax buildup. So there wasn’t an obvious physical blockage that could explain the sensation.
Because there wasn’t an obvious cause, I’m now on a waitlist for a CT and MRI, but I’m being told it could take a couple of months.
The ENT also gave me betahistine to try for the dizziness/disorientation, although he was very upfront that there isn’t strong evidence that it will help in my situation.
Wednesday: I stayed home and took the betahistine. My ear stayed basically 100% clogged/full all day. I was still extremely disoriented and uncomfortable.
By this point, I had started doing more research and began wondering whether TMJ/bruxism could be involved.
I’ve had a history of clenching my teeth, both during the day and at night, for years. I always assumed it was just something I did when stressed and never really paid much attention to it.
I started consciously paying attention to my jaw position and realized I was clenching WAY more than I thought. I started trying to keep my tongue resting on the roof of my mouth, lips together, and teeth apart.
I also realized that my teeth themselves were extremely sore, which made me realize how much clenching I had probably been doing without noticing.
Thursday: I went back to the hospital because I was hoping they might be able to do imaging. They didn’t think imaging was indicated and instead examined my jaw and said that my symptoms could be consistent with TMJ. They recommended Advil twice a day and seeing a dentist.
The problem is that I start a new job on Monday, so getting a dentist appointment immediately isn’t really realistic.
Friday: I had a complete breakdown because I was so exhausted and frustrated. I took Advil, took 100 mg of magnesium before bed, put my old orthodontic retainers in, and taped my mouth shut while sleeping because I was trying anything I could think of to prevent clenching.
Saturday: I woke up and my ear was almost completely clear — maybe 5% fullness.
I was exhausted from the past week of barely sleeping, so I took a nap today. I was drifting in and out of sleep, and during the nap I could actually feel myself clenching my teeth at times and pushing my jaw forward. I was somewhat aware of it happening while I was half-asleep, but obviously wasn’t consciously choosing to do it.
When I woke up after that short nap, the ear fullness was back to almost 100%, along with the same horrible disorientation.
That’s what is really confusing me. I don’t have significant or persistent jaw pain. I don’t have pain in the muscles around my jaw either, and when I’ve tried massaging the area, there’s nothing that particularly hurts or feels like a painful knot. I have also been doing hot compresses and massages and even use a tmj acupuncture tool, and there is no difference with this.
That said, on the day when my ear was almost completely clear, I did notice some tingling around my right jaw joint and some cracking/popping in the right side of my jaw. Other than that, I don’t really have pain in the joint or surrounding muscles.
Yet I clearly have a history of clenching, my teeth are sore, and I actually noticed myself clenching my teeth and pushing my jaw forward while I was drifting in and out of sleep during my nap. The ear symptoms also seem to fluctuate dramatically.
That’s why I’m wondering whether the clenching/bruxism could somehow be contributing to the ear fullness even without the typical TMJ pain people usually describe.
I’m wondering:
Has anyone experienced severe ear fullness/pressure from bruxism or TMJ without significant jaw pain?
Can TMJ/bruxism cause this type of ear sensation even when hearing tests and tympanometry are completely normal?
Has anyone had the fullness accompanied by dizziness/disorientation like this?
Did treating the clenching actually resolve the ear symptoms?
What treatments helped you besides simply being told to “stop clenching”?
Has anyone benefited from dental treatment, a properly fitted night guard, physical therapy, or other approaches?
I’m obviously not assuming this is definitely TMJ, especially since I’m still waiting for imaging and have been evaluated by an ENT. I’m just trying to understand whether this pattern sounds familiar to anyone.
The hardest part is that the sensation is so intense despite everything testing normal. It is genuinely debilitating, and the uncertainty is making my anxiety much worse.
I’m desperate for ideas at this point. I start my new job Monday and really need to figure out how to manage this. Even if someone has a temporary fix, please let me know just so I can start my job this week and then look into long term treatment. I have to drive to my job and can’t with the disorientation.
Here is my timeline and situation:
I know that Escitalopram leaves the body within a week, so the drug itself is completely gone. However, it seems like those 4 days were enough to trigger some sort of neurological loop or muscle spasm memory in my jaw?
Has anyone experienced SSRI-induced bruxism that persisted weeks after stopping the medication, even after a very short course? How long did it take for your brain/muscles to reset? Did you have to use muscle relaxants, buspirone, or physical therapy to break the cycle?
Any advice on how to "turn off" this involuntary muscle reflex would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
I've been wearing braces for 1.5 years now and i started wearing rubberbands on my braces for the past 3 months. And my mental health feels like it has been declining ever since. Like life has gotten so much more tiring, its a lot more tiring to do stuff. And the reward for doing stuff does not feel worth it, even if it is the most fun ive ever experienced before. Like it does not matter to me because i am that tired.
And ive been finding myself exhausted mentally throughout this summer even when ive had summer break for 8 weeks and ive been sleeping so much i get sick of it.
It doesnt feel like im getting rest when im sleeping with the bands on, and when i take them off for some nights because my nose is stuffed i would feel instantly better the next day and feel like life has meaning again.
I have been diagnosed with chronic migraines before which means that my brain is extra sensitive to the feedback it gets and in general. Even though i havent had migraines in a very long time now because of lifestyle changes i still think thats important to say.
Does anyone have any tips to how i can deal with this and maybe make it less hellish? Im supposed to be wearing them for another 5 months. The bands im wearing is mountain gorilla medium 4.8 mm. Thanks for any tips in advance.
Is there any sort of muscle relaxant or something I could put on my face or in my mouth to somewhat relax the muscle there? I am very cooked on money and im trying to save for better expenses I am just hopefully looking for something to maybe ease the pain or tension so it doesn't feel like HELL! Does exercising the muscle actually help? I know it may be caused by apnea but I can't do a sleep study either!
I’ve been dealing with TMJ/jaw tension for a while, and these are probably the 5 things that have made the biggest difference for me. Obviously everyone is different, but hopefully this helps someone.
**1. Better posture**
I started paying way more attention to my posture, especially when I’m sitting at a desk or looking at my phone. When my head is forward and my shoulders are rounded downwards, I notice way more tension in my neck and jaw at the end of the day.
**2. Sleeping with a good pillow**
Finding a pillow that actually supports my neck properly has helped a lot. I used to wake up with my neck and jaw already feeling tight, which would basically set the tone for the rest of the day.
**3. Stretching regularly**
Nothing crazy—just consistently stretching my neck, shoulders, upper back, and jaw area. I’ve found doing a little bit every day works better for me than waiting until everything feels really tight.
**4. Becoming more aware of my body**
This sounds simple, but it’s been huge. I started catching myself clenching my jaw or tensing my shoulders during the day without even realizing it. Now I try to check in with myself regularly: Am I clenching? Are my shoulders raised? Is my jaw actually relaxed?
**5. Managing stress + relaxing my muscles**
This has probably been one of the biggest ones. I didn’t realize how much stress I was holding in my jaw, neck, and shoulders throughout the day. I’ve been using Headspace for general stress/meditation and CalmJaw, which is specific to TMJ and has been great for helping me focus on jaw relaxation.
Would be interested to hear what’s helped other people with TMJ too.
I talked in a previous post about my acquisition of a Bruxless device, and I promised to talk about it (https://www.reddit.com/r/bruxism/comments/1v8mzq2/i\_received\_my\_bruxless\_device/). So, this is my review after 14 days of use. First of all, I want to remind you that I don’t work for this company and I don’t have any special interests with them.
Some background: I’ve been bruxing for as long as I can remember, but I’ve only known about it for 3 or 4 years. My clenching didn’t affect my quality of life until I got two concussions in 2024. Since then, my clenching has become a real problem and I developed severe bruxism. My concussions are now mostly healed, but my clenching is still there. It causes tinnitus, neck pain, and back pain. I think it also contributed to some post-concussion symptoms, particularly vestibular symptoms. I’m telling you this because this is my particular situation. What comes next may or may not apply to your case.
What I’m doing to manage my bruxism: I have a hard lower nightguard made by a specialist; I’m following a program with an online physical therapist who specializes in bruxism; I have Botox injections in my masseters; and I now have this Bruxless device. I did a home sleep study for sleep apnea, which came back negative. I’m also managing my stress with good sleep and lifestyle habits. I also used sleep pills. Those last two weeks, I didn't use them that much.
So, I preordered this thing 1.5 years ago. Production was slow, and I got mine this summer. I’m French and living in Canada, so I asked my relatives in France to send it to me. Bruxless doesn’t ship packages abroad.
The Bruxless device is a sort of helmet that you put on your head at night. You calibrate it, and when you brux, it vibrates and stops you from making that involuntary movement. Bruxless claims that it alleviates your symptoms, allows you to sleep better, and helps reeducate you in the long term. It also offers a relaxation mode (vibrations during the day). It can be used alone or with special software to track your behavior at night. You are supposed to not wear your nightguard, but I’m still wearing mine because I had tooth pain in the morning without it, even with the device.
Installation and software: I didn’t find this product really intuitive. You really need to use the manual to understand how it works. Once you’ve read it, it’s alright. The software cannot be downloaded from the Google Play Store if you are not in France. I had to create a new Google account and use a VPN to get the app. Bluetooth synchronization with my cellphone was really messy and buggy, but I finally managed to synchronize the device. You only have to synchronize your device one time, so once it’s done, it’s done.
Habituation and comfort: It looks uncomfortable, but it’s surprisingly not. It only took me one week to get completely used to the device. The first few nights, it hurt my ears and scratched my chin. After one week, I was used to it. I should mention that I sleep on my side, and the device isn’t a problem at all. The first few nights, the device woke me up a lot, and I was wondering if I could get through it. After one week, again, it didn’t wake me up as much, and I must say that my nights are much better. I was kind of skeptical about my ability to get used to it, but after 15 days, I have to admit that it’s well designed and that my body responded positively to the helmet.
What I can say now, after 15 days:
a) I’m used to it, and the vibrations don’t wake me up anymore, or at least not very much;
b) I’ve gotten used to the device itself, and it’s not a burden to wear.
But does it work? It’s too soon to say whether it has reduced my bruxism (if it does, it should take several months), but I can already tell that it alleviates some of my symptoms. In addition to my other management strategies, such as PT and stress management, it’s not a miracle device at all. I feel more relaxed in the morning, and my jaw, neck, and back are less stiff. Some of my vestibular symptoms are also receding.
Actually, the night reports I get from the device tell me that I don’t clench less, but it really does its preventive job. It’s not a miracle device, but I’m actually quite satisfied with it. I’m now hoping it will do its “reeducation part.”
After 15 days (which is really soon, and this is based only on my own experience), I can say that this is a device you could consider adding to your routine. It’s really expensive, though (€700), so think twice. Based on my experience, though, I can say that it is not a gadget. But I can also say that it has to be used in complement with other strategies. I don't think that, alone, this device would do all the job. For me, stress management, good lifestyles habits and PT are as much important as this device.
(This text was revised by AI.)
When I was in 3rd grade, I lost one of my permanent front teeth in an accident. Since then, I've been wearing a temporary replacement made of a plastic-like material. It breaks every few months, so I've had it replaced many times over the years.
My teeth was completely broken meaning pulled out from root. As some friend of mine pushed me which led to my teeth hitting corner of desk.
My biggest problem isn't that it breaks—it's that I feel like I don't speak clearly because of it. It feels like there's extra saliva in my mouth, and my speech sounds slurred or "slippery." People have commented on the way I talk, and even though they probably don't mean to be hurtful, those comments really affect me. I've been dealing with this since I was a kid, and now I'm in 10th grade (16 years old), so it's been years.
Has anyone else experienced something similar with a temporary tooth or dental appliance? Did anything help improve your speech or make it easier to talk clearly?
Please don't suggest getting a permanent implant or replacement right now. My dentist has already discussed that option with me, but my family can't afford it at the moment. I plan to get a permanent solution when I'm older and financially able to.Also my school will not give insurance as they js deleted cctv recordings.
From that day i was depressed my entirety of life till now as being totla(a hindi term used for children who can't speak clearly) it has worsened my emotional health as 16 yrs old is just the age when actual kind off bullying happens.
I'd really appreciate any advice, tips, or even just hearing from someone who's gone through something similar. Thank you.
I have persistent pain in my mouth, in the upper left, back tooth. I had root canal treatment, but it didn't help. Then I had a root canal redo, twice in total. The last one was three weeks ago, and they said there was an incomplete root canal. There was the fourth one which the previous doctors couldn't see. It's been completed, but the pain continues. The tooth has been problemic before, had sensivity towards hot drinks for more than a year, although the root canal solved the sensivity, the pain never went away. I don't feel any pain when the tooth is hit. I feel pain when pressure is applied to the gum around and above the tooth especially, not the tooth itself. Besides that, I have a constant pain in my mouth, similar to a normal toothache. Sometimes the intensity decreases, sometimes it increases, never goes away permanently. When a percussion test is done on the tooth, I don't feel any pain when tapped. The doctor I went to claims it's not tooth-related and that the problem won't go away if the tooth is extracted. CT scans and X-rays show normal results. It is located in a specific area. I don't feel pain in my jaw after I wake up. No one heard me grinding teeth as well during the night. She told me it might be due to teeth clenching. Could this be true? Is there anyone experiencing a similar situation? Thank you in advance.
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice from people who have dealt with chronic teeth grinding (bruxism), especially at night.
I’ve been actively noticing my teeth grinding for around 3 years. I often wake up with significant jaw tension/pain and headaches, and I frequently feel unrefreshed in the morning.
Some relevant background:
● I have a diagnosed crossbite, although my dentist says it’s impossible to say whether this is actually causing the bruxism.
● I already use a night guard. My dentist basically told me that, from his perspective, the main options are the guard and physiotherapy.
● I’ve done physiotherapy for the jaw/neck area.
● I sometimes have significant jaw tension even during the day.
● I have a deviated nasal septum and my nasal passages tend to become more congested when I lie down. During the day, nasal breathing is generally fine.
● I sometimes wake up with a dry mouth or mucus in my throat, so I suspect I may breathe through my mouth during sleep.
● I previously had a sleep apnea test, which was negative.
● I exercise regularly and am otherwise healthy/fit.
● I’ve also tried magnesium, but I’m not convinced it has made a noticeable difference.
I’ve seen several dentists already, including someone specializing in CMD, but I keep getting to the same point: night guard + physiotherapy, without much improvement.
I’m not looking for pseudoscientific treatments such as unsupported bite/jaw correction concepts. I’m specifically interested in evidence-based approaches.
For those of you who have dealt with severe bruxism:
What actually helped you?
Did anyone find a specialist, clinic, treatment, therapy, sleep-related intervention, etc. that made a meaningful difference?
I’d especially appreciate experiences with things beyond the standard “get a night guard and reduce stress” advice.
Thanks!
Hello. I hope posts like these are allowed on here!
I have been grinding my teeth for months now, often waking up with a sore jaw. It's something that comes and goes, depending on my sleep pattern, I guess. I haven't been under any stress lately but I'm still doing it.
I have talked to my dentist about it during my last appointment but they didn't give me anything for it, either to relax muscles or a night guard... And I cannot afford going back for now, plus I'd rather find at home remedies and try them.
Has anyone found something that they can do at home to help? Maybe drink tea, yoga, anything? Thanks!