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    joans3478's Avatar
    joans3478 Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Jan 15, 2008, 12:29 PM
    Jaw realignment
    I have recently (over the last year) been grinding my teeth in my sleep and it has resulted in my jaw popping a lot. My dentist tells me I need to wear a mouth guard, which I have been doing. In the morning, when I take the mouth guard out, my jaw alignment is way off. My bite doesn't allow my molars to meet for the first several minutes (up to 30 min.) after I wake up. My dentist's solution is to meet with him for a series of appointments (very brief... 10-15 min) and he is "filing" my teeth in certain areas to correct the bite so that the teeth meet properly when the jaw is realigned (after wearing the mouth guard). He sees me 1st thing in the morning, so he sees my jaw in this post-mouthguard position when my molars don't come together. Sounds complicated I know... so I'm not sure if I've described this properly. Bottom line... this seems to me like an odd thing to do to make this correction. Does this make sense as a proper way to treat this? Thank you!
    jillianleab's Avatar
    jillianleab Posts: 1,194, Reputation: 279
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    #2

    Jan 15, 2008, 12:41 PM
    Is this a mouth guard you bought in a store, or one that was made for you in your dentist's office? How is your bite and alignment otherwise? Has you dentist discussed the possibility or orthodontic treatment to correct this problem, if you have a malocclusion?

    What your dentist is suggesting is not something I've ever heard of, but I'm not a dental professional, so maybe it is common practice. There are several people in the dental field here who hopefully can give you more info.
    joans3478's Avatar
    joans3478 Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Jan 15, 2008, 05:52 PM
    Thanks Jillian... my mouth guard was bought in a store, not specially made by my dentist. And otherwise, my bite is fine. Hopefully I'll hear from a dental professional on this also? Thanks again...
    flossie's Avatar
    flossie Posts: 1,903, Reputation: 181
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    #4

    Jan 15, 2008, 07:11 PM
    You should have a occlusal night guard made. A night guard is made specifically for your teeth and joints therefore preventing you from doing more damage. The night guard is made of hard acrylic.

    Night Guard

    The adjusting your dentist is doing to your teeth is quite common in the dental industry. It's called occlusal equilibration and will make it so your teeth are balanced when you bite together.

    It worries me that your dentist is doing it when you aren't wearing a CUSTOM night guard.
    jillianleab's Avatar
    jillianleab Posts: 1,194, Reputation: 279
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    #5

    Jan 15, 2008, 07:19 PM
    Hopefully one of them will pop in and give you some more concrete advice. No promises, though!

    Based on my dental knowledge, the mouth guards made by dentists are better than the ones in the stores, so that could be compounding your problems. If your mouth guard doesn't fit properly it can shift your teeth, which of course, is a problem.

    If you are unsure of the treatment plan your dentist has laid out for you, however, you can always consult with another dentist to see what their opinion is. Call around, you might find someone who will consult with you for free, or for a small fee. If your jaw is popping, it could indicate TMJ if there is pain as well. There are several ways to treat TMJ, one of them being orthodontic treatment. If you are in the US, most orthos will consult with you for no charge. My concern with what you say is that your jaw is fine before bed, and misaligned when you wake up, and our dentist wants to "lock" you in to that misalignment.
    GABRIEL5555's Avatar
    GABRIEL5555 Posts: 20, Reputation: -1
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    #6

    Jan 28, 2008, 08:26 PM
    Do you have a overbite or underbite or a perfect jaw?and when did you notice you started do grind your teeth,bdw when you grind your teeth your bite will feel different as in your teeth will not fit together
    oozyluce's Avatar
    oozyluce Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #7

    Nov 1, 2010, 06:09 AM
    Teeth grinding is one of the symptoms of stress and anxiety, I suggest, before spending thousands on your dentists, to try acupuncture or massotherapy. This will dramatically lower your level of stress. Furthermore, you might want to reconsider your diet and increase your physical activities frequency.
    You might want to check my blog too, I wrote an article on Bruxism.. You might find it helpful ;)
    Whitby dentists
    stevie_nicks's Avatar
    stevie_nicks Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #8

    Nov 3, 2010, 12:40 PM
    I was given a custom made night guard by my dentist as I grind also. My jaw is deformed, this is why I grind, the right side of my face is slightly longer than the left. I've found from wearing the night guard that my teeth now don't meet properly on the left side. I suppose the gap on the left means my jaw is more symmetrical, but it's a pain that my bite is affected.

    I am going to ask my dentist if its normal that my bite has been so affected, I certainly wouldn't let them file my teeth to correct it, I would really get a second opinion if I were you and also try relaxation if stress is the cause of grinding :)

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