So the dentist last week told me that I was grinding my teeth at night.
Actually, they asked if I *was grinding my teeth*?
How the bleep would I know? I've never heard myself snore either!
But on one spot they showed me how my teeth were *level*. And on the inside of one there was faint yellow.
The yellow is from, I learned, not from plaque but rather from scraping off the enamel. Yellow is the inside color that manifests itself in the mouths of 'old coots' not because they don't brush, but because their enamel is gone - so I was informed.
So what does this mean?
It means that I was advised to wear a $325 mouth-guard at night.
Are you freakin' kidding me? For how long?
FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
I bought it - although only because we had $800 in our *flex-spending* medical account that we HAD TO SPEND before the year's end - or we'd lose it.
But I'm not looking forward to wearing a mouth-guard for the rest of my life. I don't care what anyone says, those things promote halitosis.
I was just Googling and learned that teeth grinding is actually called bruxism - from the Greek for *gnashing of teeth*.
And I was just Googling for *natural remedies*. Y'all know me by now, I'm a DIY'er to the nth: cutting my own hair, teaching my own kids, trading my own money, a self-taught golf swing, etc. There isn't a dentist in the land that's going to tell me to do *jaw exercises* to stop night-time grinding. No, just like those orthopedic quacks with the outrageously expensive inserts they peddle, dentists would much rather ring the cash register for $300+ bucks for every grinder that walks in.
I don't dispute the fact that I grind - not after seeing the up-close images of my teeth, and not after hearing that the main cause was psychological, anxiety! Yeah, I've got plenty of that. My dreams are crazy these days. My normal dreams would probably qualify as the average person's worst nightmare. Seriously.
Anyways, all I've come up with for bio-organic solutions to my grinding so far is....*relaxation therapy*.
But I do sense there is some type of jaw yoga out there that actually works. Only it's hiding behind a bevy of quackish infomercial-type products on the web. I'll keep looking.
5 comments:
maybe u can DIY a mouth guard your self?
u will love the 3d printers that are out in the market right now, DIY's dream.
As I was reading this I realized I was grinding my teeth. I do it all the time...awake, asleep, doesn't matter. It is stress-related for sure. Oh well. I also had a dentist recommend a guard years ago but never did anything about it (we didn't even have health insurance then, so $300for a mouth guard was not happening). Generally I have great teeth so I don't worry about it too much.
I would put my dreams up to yours any day. I have bizarre dreams all night long. They are so vivid that I can usually remember them when I get up, and sometimes for days after. I just think certain personalities tend to deal with the stresses of life in these ways.
Keep on keeping on..
Anne,
I murder people in my dreams almost every night - though on a justified basis only.
Do you have blood on your hands?
I don't recall committing any murders...my dreams/nightmares usually revolve around something awful happening to someone I love...or my feeling guilty about failing someone...or no one will listen to me (I know that sounds pitiful but think how frustrated you would be if you kept dreaming no one will listen to you - especially you CNut - that would drive you mad, I think).
The best way to describe my dreams (again they are more appropriately termed nightmares) would be "bizarre." I just have bizarre dreams night after night. The worst ones are when something happens to one of my kids. I will try to wake myself up to make it stop but can't. It's horrible.
Some of my dreams do provide amusing fodder for my family when I relate them. No one in my household dreams like I do and they can't believe the stuff that goes on in my head at night.
No matter how much money you have to spend (customized night mouth guards can actually dig a few holes in the pocket) the idea of doing something or wearing a device for the rest of your life can be quite unnerving.
There are a lot of good yoga teachers in this country and if you cannot find one, you can learn the art of meditation yourself via ebooks. Believe me, this not only reduces bruxism, but also helps you better manage your mind and emotions.
However, if you also suffer from other co-existing medical conditions (e.g., obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, sleep paralysis, etc), then it’s a better idea to get these conditions treated first, and bruxism relief will not be far behind.
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