I grind my teeth and now I think one of it is starting to get loose?!
Question: I grind my teeth and now I think one of it is starting to get loose?
This morning I was sleeping .. Then I woke up (I was like 80% still asleep but I was aware of what was going on around me). I then noticed that I felt like I was biting a rock in my mouth. And the noise was like a scratchy noise. Like it literally felt like I had a rock in my mouth and I was trying to bite it and crack it into half. This happened to me about 3 times this morning. Couple of times I do half-wake up while I'm in the process of grinding my teeth..
So anyway, I'm eating lunch atm and I have noticed that if I bite a little hard (like the same force when you're biting an apple or a carrot) that one of my bottom tooth starts to hurt. I pushed it with my tongue and it hurts and when I try pushing it with my fingers, it feels SLIGHTLY wobbly. Like really slightly.. And now it's starting to hurt...
What do I do to stop myself from grinding my teeth? Do you think mouth guards are the best options? How much does it cost to get a mouth guard? I live in Australia btw. But if you only know for America, please tell me how much they would cost because it'd be similar in price.
Thank you
Answers:
As a lifelong tooth grinder, I can sympathize with you. Grinding your teeth not only causes damage to your mouth, it can also lead to headaches, neck problems and, as you saw this morning, sleep problems.
In the US you can find do-it-yourself mouth guards for roughly $10. You place the guard in boiling water, then pull it out and chomp down on it, fitting it to your bite. This will keep you from actually grinding your teeth, but won't eliminate the underlying problems.
A professionally made mouth guard, fitted by your dentist, will not only keep you from grinding your teeth, but the slick surface will keep you from locking up your jaw and creating headaches and other associated problems. These can get quite expensive, as in hundreds of dollars. In the US we have insurance that covers the cost, so I'm not exactly sure of how many hundreds. Until you can get to a dentist, the mouth guards you find at a drug store will work perfectly fine.
Stress can be one of the reasons behind teeth grinding. Make sure you eliminate caffeine or other stimulants (including chocolate and other sugary snacks) after noon. Even if they don't keep you awake, they can cause just enough stress that you grind your teeth.
Vigorous exercise is great for reducing stress, but make sure you exercise in the morning, not at night. Gentle stretches or yoga are better for night time. They'll help you reduce your stress, relieve tension and prepare your body for sleep.
Also work on some ideas for reducing daily stress. Eliminate clutter from your life, physically, emotionally, spiritually and in your relationships. Get rid of the stuff that stresses you out and you'll increase the life of your teeth.
Talk to your dentist about mouth guards, they work well. Well I mean you could always buy a sports one that you fit yourself hah but I'm not sure, ik my grandma got a pair. Maybe $40-140??? And I wanna go to australia haha