Teeth grinding

[jessi]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum but have had my braces on for a little over a year now. I've noticed in the last couple of weeks that a couple of teeth on the top and bottom right side have ground down. I noticed it because I check my teeth daily for any changes and noticed that they had rough to the touch spots on them. My bite is so far off right now it's crazy and I know the braces will fix it eventually, but I'm just wondering if anyone else had or has this problem and what the ortho can or will do about it. I don't want to end up with nubs for teeth and I don't want to have to have a bunch of restorations done after the braces come off because of this. It's strange because before I had braces I knew I would grind at night, but nothing like this. It seems like my awkward bite is causing the damage. I have a wire change & cleaning scheduled for next week so I'm definitely going to mention it to my ortho, but just wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue & what if anything can be done. Thanks so much for your input and/or suggestions.

[Sunny]

Hi Jessi and welcome to this forum!

I have been a teeth grinder and clencher for many years and the interesting thing for me, was the discovery that most of the grinding and clenching is connected to a person's internal health ... for example stress levels. I have ground small amounts from teeth, as my bite has changed, mostly due to change affecting the way these teeth connected, but the amount was tiny and then my bite changed and I was no longer able to do that type of grinding.

Please talk to your ortho about your grinding, as they need to be aware that you're doing this. You also need to discuss your concerns re grinding a noticable amount from your teeth in only a couple of weeks, as that may indicate other issues. Hopefully your ortho will be able to reasure you about the amount you have ground.

Good luck with your wire change and cleaning!

[jessi]

Dear Sunny~

Thank you for responding and your suggestions. I am definitely going to talk to my ortho about my grinding. Before I got my braces on, I mentioned to him that I grind and he gave me a plastic red appliance to wear for one night to see where the grinding was happening. It was sort of like an invisalign tray. Anyway, I wore it the one night and didn't really notice any worn away areas, but the ortho went ahead and put my top braces on first, then took a mold of my bottom teeth and gave me another, clear appliance to wear continuously until I got the bottom braces on. I did that for awhile and it seemed fine. Of course I can't wear it anymore to stop the grinding, but hopefully he'll have something else I can use. I know what you are saying about stress levels and grinding; I've read about that before and didn't know until recently that could be a cause. I do think that's part of it and that the grinding then leads to the headaches I sometimes have in the mornings; what a vicious cycle! Anyway, thank you for responding and here's to our grind free, beautiful smiles of the future!

[newsboysgrl777]

Hi Jessi, if you see this, I'd be interested to know what your ortho ended up saying about the worn away spots as well as what he did to help you with your grinding. I'm thinking I just might grind at night, too...or, I'm not sure if that's what it is. I think I tend to 'clench' my teeth more than anything...is that the same as grinding?? Anyway, would love to hear your ortho's reponse.

[Sunny]

Newsboysgrl clenching is usually a response to stress and you'll usually know you've been doing this, due to the ache in your jaw joint.

Special mouth guards can be made to help people when they clench. Talk to your ortho about this, as although it might not be possible for you to have something like this during active treatment, your ortho needs to be aware if you're grinding and/or clenching.

[newsboysgrl777]

Hi karen, thanks for the info. The next time I go in, I'll mention it. I don't really have pain in my jaw (and judging from so many I've read about who have a big need for orthognathic surgery, I am so glad!!), but I have noticed that my jaw will kind of crack or creak a little at times..mostly when I yawn or open my mouth wide. I'm not sure if it's only since braces, or if I'm just aware of it more now because of how I'm aware of my teeth, jaws, etc. more. And, I think I get headaches because of the clenching. So, maybe that's how my 'jaw' deals with that extra pressure - by giving me a headache elsewhere??

Anyway, thanks for letting me know about this. I didn't really know if it was something to be concerned with or not, but I'm actually finding myself doing this more and more and more now. Like, when I'm sitting doing nothing, thinking I'm relaxed, I'll realize my teeth are clenched pretty tightly!! And I almost feel like I have to let my lower jaw hang a little (with my mouth still shut) to stop myself from doing this! hm...

[jessi]

Hi Newsboysgrl~

Sorry it took so long to get back to you but my ortho really didn't seem too concerned about it. He told me to ask my regular dentist about it which I did and he told me that my teeth are in good shape and not to worry. He said that since my teeth are continually moving anyway, they will be out of their current position soon so the wearing away will stop. We also discussed making some sort of appliance tray but he felt it wouldn't be worth it since it would only fit for awhile anyway. He suggested buying a cheap mouthguard that boxers use, from walmart or whatever if I was really concerned but even then I'd have to mold it with hot water to get it to fit and would have to keep doing that since the teeth are continually moving. My concern was that I'd have to have restorations after the braces came off if the grinding continued in that one spot but neither dentist nor ortho seemed to think that would be an issue and that it would stop on it's own, which it has, so I'm happy about that! And I haven't noticed any wear on any other teeth, so that's good; I'm watching though! As for your headaches; it can certainly be a side effect of clenching; I get them too, especially in the mornings. My ortho is well aware of that, but they seem to have gotten a little better since I got the braces on. I'm hopeful they'll be gone or at least fewer and farther between once the braces come off and my bite is corrected. Definitely talk to your ortho about it & see what he recommends. Your course of treatment may be a little different once he/she knows this as mine was. You're not alone in your concerns and I hope I've helped a little. Good luck!