Does anyone have any tips on how to cope with or prevent bruxism? I've had it going for years now. Recently I've been having daily tension headaches that last almost all day. I've been to the GP and they want to do tests to rule out other things. However, tonight I've woken with a severely clenched jaw. I was shocked at how tightly clenched it was. It might just be due to stress as yesterday was a very stressful day but it got me wondering if that could be the cause of my headaches. My dentist charges over £300 for the mouth guard which I can ill afford and the dentist won't accept a payment plan. I've tried the Dentek one in the past which didn't fit despite the boiling process and it made me gag. I've seen jaw stretching devices and hemp muscle relaxants and wonder how effective they are. Beyond that I'm not sure what else may help. I did have a specially made mouth guard years ago but I wore it down. It did work to some extent though. Any advice would be much appreciated.
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Hey,
I've also been dealing with bruxism for years - i do it not only during the night and apparently can wake my partner with the weird noises, I also sometimes find myself during the day and will only notice it when the headaches or jaw aches start up. For me it's stress and anxiety, which other than trying to consciously calm myself I can't do much about in some situations.
I do have a mouth guard which I wear every night and I think if you have one that doesn't fit it might give you long-term other troubles. If you still have the older one, it might be better than not using any.
I've watched some YT videos on doing a massage on my jaw and find that that helps in generally easing the tension around the area. I wouldn't try to use any contraption on myself but my former dentist said that physical therapy is one way of dealing with it so I figured doing some massages can't hurt. Generally stretching the upper body (I do Pilates) seems to help as well, I find myself grinding much worse if don't exercise for a bit. Frankly, I'm not sure if it is down to the stretching itself or more of a gimmick because I'm likely also generally not feeling my best if I don't exercise for days.
Holy grail and unfortunately one that comes with a price tag is for me getting botox. They inject it quit deep into the muscle, you can't tell I've had it and my muscles all still move, no frozen look. It is the only thing that actually stop doing the clenching and pressing itself and not only guards your teeth from being worn down, like a mouth-guard would, which in my book seems like the best option. One injection round lasts about 6 months for me, at around 350€, so the price tag is hefty for this.
I've also been dealing with bruxism for years - i do it not only during the night and apparently can wake my partner with the weird noises, I also sometimes find myself during the day and will only notice it when the headaches or jaw aches start up. For me it's stress and anxiety, which other than trying to consciously calm myself I can't do much about in some situations.
I do have a mouth guard which I wear every night and I think if you have one that doesn't fit it might give you long-term other troubles. If you still have the older one, it might be better than not using any.
I've watched some YT videos on doing a massage on my jaw and find that that helps in generally easing the tension around the area. I wouldn't try to use any contraption on myself but my former dentist said that physical therapy is one way of dealing with it so I figured doing some massages can't hurt. Generally stretching the upper body (I do Pilates) seems to help as well, I find myself grinding much worse if don't exercise for a bit. Frankly, I'm not sure if it is down to the stretching itself or more of a gimmick because I'm likely also generally not feeling my best if I don't exercise for days.
Holy grail and unfortunately one that comes with a price tag is for me getting botox. They inject it quit deep into the muscle, you can't tell I've had it and my muscles all still move, no frozen look. It is the only thing that actually stop doing the clenching and pressing itself and not only guards your teeth from being worn down, like a mouth-guard would, which in my book seems like the best option. One injection round lasts about 6 months for me, at around 350€, so the price tag is hefty for this.
I can thoroughly recommend Meditas night guards, you can buy custom moulded ones MUCH cheaper than at the dentist. I use upper and lower at the same time and they last a really long time (years so far, and my bruxism has been worse since I had covid 2 years ago)
ETA The slimline ones might be a good starter guard to get you used to them, they obviouly don't last as long as the normal ones though
SleepPro Night Guard Range
3 versions available 1.5mm soft 3mm soft 3mm hard Free storage case 7 Day turnaround Simple self impression system, no dental visit required Can be made for upper or lower teeth If you are looking for a night guard to help with night grinding (bruxing) or clenching, then Meditas has the answer.
meditas.uk
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Thank you, that has given me things to contemplate, I didn't know one could get botox injections for bruxism. Thank you for the sleep pro link, I haven't heard of that brand before, I will look into them.
I’ve been thinking about getting Botox for mine. I have it done already for my frown lines and the nurse who does it said that Botox in your jaw seems to lasts longer; most people only need it done twice a year. She is happy for me to divide the cost and pay monthly. Obviously it’ll take 6 months before I can get the first treatment done but paying a smaller amount monthly makes it feel more affordable. Might be worth seeing if you can find someone reputable who is happy to offer this option for you.
I’ve currently had a headache since Monday when I clenched my jaw exercising
I do it all the time without realising. Had a mouth guard for my bottom teeth made by the dentist, was £50-ish so prob not one of the really good ones, used to help but I’ve obviously gotten worse.
I’ve currently had a headache since Monday when I clenched my jaw exercising
I do it all the time without realising. Had a mouth guard for my bottom teeth made by the dentist, was £50-ish so prob not one of the really good ones, used to help but I’ve obviously gotten worse.
Just popping in to say when I had my mouth guard my dentist told be he could put me through as NHS at £300 or process me as a private patient at approx £100 
... I chose the latter. My dentist is obviously very nice to tell me this, might be worth asking the question.
I also found head massage very beneficial. When mine is bad it can effect my neck, shoulder (even sometimes my arm) but the head massage helped.
... I chose the latter. My dentist is obviously very nice to tell me this, might be worth asking the question.I also found head massage very beneficial. When mine is bad it can effect my neck, shoulder (even sometimes my arm) but the head massage helped.
This must have been what happened to me. I was expecting a bill of around £300 and it was less than £100Just popping in to say when I had my mouth guard my dentist told be he could put me through as NHS at £300 or process me as a private patient at approx £100
I also found head massage very beneficial. When mine is bad it can effect my neck, shoulder (even sometimes my arm) but the head massage helped.