Question:
I grind my teeth at night, and I've tried several solutions with mixed
results:
1. A dentist prepared a mouth guard for me. I wore it for about a year. I
grinded the mouthguard more than I ever grinded my teeth. In fact, I think
it made my condition worse. I understand that it protects my teeth
somewhat, but I want the grinding to stop or lessen because it is very
uncomfortable when I wake up. This cost about $300.
2. Another dentist prepared a mouth guard with an extended tip in the front
of the mouth. This made it impossible to completely clench my teeth. But
sometimes I would clench anyway just with my front teeth. This I believe is
worse than clenching the all the teeth because all the pressure went on a
couple of teeth. I stopped using this one also. This cost about $400.
3. Another dentist gave me something called an Aqualizer. It is a plastic
strip with water bubbles at either end. It fits into the mouth so that the
water bubbles rest on the back teeth. I would still clench, but I was only
clenching in the back and it was on a soft water bubble. This was the most
comfortable solution so far. But it only lasts for about 6 months, and it's
made of a cheap plastic that I wonder if it's safe to literaly suck on all
night long. This cost about $80 but only lasts 6 months or so.
4. I bought something called "The Doctor's Nightguard" at a drugstore. It
is similar to the first nightguard I tried, but it's made of a much softer
material. It was much more comfortable than the other nightguards (and much
cheaper), but not as comfortable as the Aqualizer strip. This cost about
$25, and appears to last at least as long as the custom-made nightguards.
Now for the questions:
1. First, I believe the real solution is to not wear a nightguard, but
simply to stop grinding. Are there other options? I have thought of two
possibilities. One is some sort of device that warns you when you are
grinding your teeth (maybe with a noise or a shock or something) that might
train you to stop grinding. The other is hypnosis. Have these or other
techniques been tried with success?
2. In the meantime, I would like to purchase another "Doctor's NightGuard"
(I lost mine), but can't seem to locate one at a nearby drugstore. Any idea
where I can purchase one? Or maybe where I can purchase an Aqualizer strip?
Answer:
The NTI device does what your request, but without a shock, without a noise,
without damage. Your muscular activity may never change, frequency or duration
wise, but can be suppressed intensity wise.
http://www.kulzer.com/nti_frm.htm
Your clenching intensity is dictating the severity of your grinding.
http://pw2.netcom.com/~jboyd1/DYNAMIC_MUSCULAR_BRUXISM.gif
You are right that the root of the problem is the clenching, not the
grinding. I want to stop clenching at night.
When I wore the nightguard with the tip in the front, I felt a lot of
pressure all centered on two teeth. This may have been less pressure than I
felt before, and maybe it was better for me. But I thought the tip in the
front was supposed to stop me from clenching in the first place. Is it
supposed to stop the clenching, or just reduce the intensity of the
clenching?
Can you explain how the NTI device is different than a regular nightguard
with a tip in the front? Is it supposed to stop the clenching, or just
reduce the intensity of the clenching? Is this a commonly used device?
Would it be easy to find a local dentist that has experience with it? I'm
guessing that how successful it is depends a lot on how well it is
customized for the patient. Possibly my clenching continued because the
mouthguad with the tip wasn't fitted right.
The frequency and duration of clenching events cannot be changed (unless,
or course, you're totally doped up). All humans clench at night...it's
the *intensity* that makes you a "patient" or not.
An NTI properly fitted will NOT be uncomfortable to the lower incisors.
(the discluding element must be perpendicular to the long axis of the
teeth).
Lots of DDS's are now using the NTI. I suppose you could call around?
I've found the best strategies for lessening my
nightime clenching is the following (IME):
1. Get vigorous exercise. It helps reduce the physical
tension and stress which may contribute to clenching.
2. Eat crunchy food (apples and particularly carrots)
before going to bed. It exercises the jaw, and for me,
seems to help the jaw muscles relax more.
I don't get half the post-grinding AM headaches that i used
to get... (What a nasty way to wake up!)
