To ask how on earth can I stop clenching my jaw when I'm asleep

[haw]

I'm sure my jaw clenches while I'm sleeping

I don't know how or why it happens but I woke a few times last night and caught my teeth kind of grinding together

How can I not do this when I'm asleep? I'm thinking some kind of mouth guard but can anyone recommend a certain one?

I've had the botox injections into the jaw muscle but found it unsustainably expensive. You need the injection approx every 3 months and in my case it didn't stop the teeth grinding but just lessened the jaw pressure.

That's all the amount botox they give you can do really because you need to have enough jaw muscle strength to eat and chew food.

Month guard. I just got one fitted by my dentist too.

I used the cheap Amazon guards for years and they are not thick enough to actually protect your teeth. They need to be a lot thicker than the 'mould yourself' in order to protect the enamel. I had one fitted by the dentist that I hated. Went back and got it replaced for no extra charge. And now I wear it every night. It has made a huge difference.

I second the Amazon solution - I had one made by a dentist years ago, and couldn't wear it, cost £££. Was uncomfy, I gagged a lot, couldn't sleep with it.
Current dentist mentioned it recently - I was reluctant because of the cost, and the previous unsuccessful attempt, tried the the amazon solution and that's fine, much thinner and less clunky AND WEARABLE than the one I had made years ago.
Am now starting to realise how much I clench my jaw during the day🙄

Dentist here. I wouldn't recommend the Amazon one. It might help in an extreme minority of cases but it's really not fit for purpose. You should get one prescription custom made by your dentist, one that fits your mouth only, that can be checked to ensure it's not going to move or cause a choking risk, or distort your jaw further.

They can be of different thicknesses, can be for top or bottom, and can be hard or soft. The dentist will examine you, work out your pattern of grinding or clenching, and provide the best solution for your individual needs.

The dentist can monitor the situation snd can refer to a specialist if required

Same here! Broken tooth in half and pain now radiates to my head and ears in the mornings. I honestly can't afford a dentist one. I got one like you off Amazon but I need a new one now as it's started to rub my gum.

How have you got on with the Amazon one and will you replace it with another Amazon one?

Thanks for your professional input and I will mention it at my next appointment which isn't for a few months yet. It's just the cost I am concerned about.

I have a dentist-made mould and it has made a huge difference.

The grinding can be a sign of sleep apnoea. How is the quality of your sleep otherwise?

Thanks for the post OP - I’ve got the same problem and I’m now on my second cracked tooth as a result. I wasn’t aware of what was causing it until I woke up the other night and realised Im clenching my teeth. I’ve realised I do it a lot in the day generally, without realising, so it’s good to hear I’m not alone.

I use a dentek one from boots/amazon...its much better feeling than the cheap ones I've tried a few ! Make sure you read the instructions very carefully when molding as I knackered my first one! As they are slightly different from others ..

Mine was free of charge as I still had a maternity exemption certificate but if I'd had to pay I think it would have been band 2, around £65. I know that's still more than the Amazon option but it's a bit less than the £100 you mentioned.

It's just the cost I am concerned about

You can possibly get them on the NHS. We charge @£65/£70 privately. It's not something I personally would mess with. Almost always better to get it made professionally. If you already have TMJ problems an ill fitting guard could potentially make things worse.
Clenching/grinding can also effect your teeth, causing tooth wear, sensitivity, broken teeth, stress fractures etc etc. it can also contribute to grinding, and be associated with sleep apnoea. So whatever you decide, at the very least, mention it to your dentist at your next appointment so they are aware.

With a known bruxist I generally treatment plan different, use different materials for certain treatments etc.

Sorry that was meant to read, it can also contribute to migraines, not grinding

I bought one in boots for £18 which works just as well as expensive dentist ones.

So the Amazon ones are around the £20 mark? Ring your dentist to get an accurate idea of costs (maybe @holdingonfordearlife could confirm if it would be NHS band 2?) but I would personally take the view that £20 is quite a big gamble on something that might not work, and if you end up having to go the dentist anyway then you will be more like £85 down overall. I would rather spend £65 on something that is very likely to work in the first instance, and which hopefully will help to prevent further complex (which in dentistry means expensive and painful!) issues which can be caused by untreated bruxism further down the line. I know it's a hard call, though. Hope you find a solution that works for you.

It’s is stress related, I get it on and off.

For some gentle relief though not a cure try stroking and massaging your face, you tube have some videos. I had it just after Christmas for about two weeks when I found out one of my oldest friends had died. I have had it before but this was the worse and gave me bad headaches. Once I started to come to terms with the shock of her death it went off.

NHS dentist one for me. It's made a huge difference and is just part of my night time routine now. I feel naked without it!

It was a Band 2 cost £65 ish) and has lasted almost 4 years so far.

I tried a non bespoke one before and it was nowhere near as good.

Botox works brilliantly for me. I only need it about every 8 months now as my muscles have weakened over time. Unfortunately its around £500 per session.

I went down the whole road of having 2 different, expensive mouth guards made by different dentists and they exacerbated the problem, because I used to clench even more to hold them in place. I tried cheap ones off Amazon, same thing. I couldn't sleep that well for worrying about swallowing them and they were terribly uncomfortable even though I tried for months. If you do a bit of research about it, you will find plenty of studies which say that mouthguards don't work well at all for preventing teeth grinding other than protecting your teeth from some level of wear and tear.

tbh its often genetic. I was made to feel guilty for jaw clenching and not doing all the exercises (I did do them and they were useless) and subjected to all sorts of lectures on how I would ruin my teeth if I just didn't stop. Then I visited a Chinese surgeon who understands the Asian jaw shape and he dealt with the problem by only using Botox.

@ZoyaTheDestroyer sorry I can't help with that, as I'm Scotland based, so we don't work in bands.
It's fee per item here and a discretionary fee meaning practitioner services decide the amount. It's not much though, maybe £30-40. Dental practices don't make much profit on it. I'll check the exact amount when I get into work

Didn't realise it is genetic, my parents both grind their teeth in their sleep.

@haw

I want to echo everything the dentist says.

I appreciate the cost isn't insignificant. But this is one of these areas where spending money in the right way will really yield benefits.

First of all, you need your dentist to assess your particular situation, examine your teeth for any damage already done, and if advised, fit an appropriate mouthguard specific to your mouth.

A generic mouthguard will help a bit - by providing a barrier to stop the pressure created by grinding. But it'll likely fall out (as not fitted) and will probably only help to a degree.

Our teeth are able to last our lifetimes with appropriate care. But they do not regenerate (the only part of our body not to do so!) so once you have damaged them, that's it.

Grinding has huge impact. I too grind my teeth & clench my jaw. I have damaged teeth, these were repaired & I have a mouthguard which is replaced every so many years.

I would absolutely recommend speaking to your dentist & seeing the cost as an investment in your teeth, over your lifetime.

Op stop going on about the cost 😄 if you've got £20 to drop on some shit amazon rubbish, you can find £65 to pay the dentist! Or some dentists do payment plans. Not sure why you're dithering to be honest, it's your health at the end of the day.

The relief of not having a tense jaw, sore temples, aching teeth and crazy dreams once you have a properly fitting anti grind guard is unbelievable.
Mine cost £175 pound but for that I had moulds made and four fittings before dentist was happy with the fit. I've had it five years and wear it every night. It's brilliant. Cost per wear = pennies.

I know what you mean and in hindsight I wish I did just go to the dentist option. I thought it would be £100-200 with no guarantees it would work which is a lot for me to lose. The potential tat I've bought on Amazon had over 7000 reviews so thought it was a safe bet.

I'll use that and see how I get on until my next appointment and see about a proper one then.