thisgirl
01-16-2003, 07:25 PM
last year i had to have half of my teeth removed (13), including all of my front teeth. i wear plates now and take them out at night.
i have TMJ (& have had it before my teeth went bad) but have yet to get treatment. my regular doctor told me to try wearing a mouthguard at night. that seemed silly to me, as i take the plates out at night and my teeth don't even touch when i close my mouth. so i don't clench or grind my teeth at night. i wake up in the morning ok. my pain usually starts in the afternoon and gets worse as the day goes on.
i don't know much about splints, how they are worn, what their purpose is... are splints worn at night? would they be of any help since my teeth don;t touch at all and i wear plates during the day (the plates give me a straighter bite, which i don't get without their help)
i'm just wondering if my treatment would be any different from other people, due to the plates and my lack of a bite at night.
i have TMJ (& have had it before my teeth went bad) but have yet to get treatment. my regular doctor told me to try wearing a mouthguard at night. that seemed silly to me, as i take the plates out at night and my teeth don't even touch when i close my mouth. so i don't clench or grind my teeth at night. i wake up in the morning ok. my pain usually starts in the afternoon and gets worse as the day goes on.
i don't know much about splints, how they are worn, what their purpose is... are splints worn at night? would they be of any help since my teeth don;t touch at all and i wear plates during the day (the plates give me a straighter bite, which i don't get without their help)
i'm just wondering if my treatment would be any different from other people, due to the plates and my lack of a bite at night.
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Marlene
01-19-2003, 08:16 PM
Hi thisgirl,
Some splints are worn 24/7, and some may be worn at night only (night guards). You stated "the plates give me a straighter bite, which I don't get without their help". I'm wondering if at night, without your plates in, perhaps your lower jaw may be "dropping back" slightly? If this were the case, then I would think that a night guard might afford you the comfort level while sleeping, that your plates do during the day.
Think of it this way - If your jaw is dropping back slightly while you sleep, it is in a somewhat "incorrect" position. You wake up in the morning OK, and presumably put your plates in. The plates are putting your jaw in a more correct/stable position. By afternoon, the pain starts to get worse. It could almost be a sort of "cycle" - your jaw is in one position at night, and a different position during waking hours. Perhaps a splint worn at night would keep your jaw in the same position as during the day? Just a thought.
Marlene
[This message has been edited by Marlene (edited 01-19-2003).]
[This message has been edited by Marlene (edited 01-19-2003).]
Some splints are worn 24/7, and some may be worn at night only (night guards). You stated "the plates give me a straighter bite, which I don't get without their help". I'm wondering if at night, without your plates in, perhaps your lower jaw may be "dropping back" slightly? If this were the case, then I would think that a night guard might afford you the comfort level while sleeping, that your plates do during the day.
Think of it this way - If your jaw is dropping back slightly while you sleep, it is in a somewhat "incorrect" position. You wake up in the morning OK, and presumably put your plates in. The plates are putting your jaw in a more correct/stable position. By afternoon, the pain starts to get worse. It could almost be a sort of "cycle" - your jaw is in one position at night, and a different position during waking hours. Perhaps a splint worn at night would keep your jaw in the same position as during the day? Just a thought.
Marlene
[This message has been edited by Marlene (edited 01-19-2003).]
[This message has been edited by Marlene (edited 01-19-2003).]