rubydoo63
09-20-2004, 02:14 PM
Hi All!
For the past few years, I have been waking up more and more with a terrible left earache, and just an overall soreness along my jawline. I went to an Ears-Nose-Throat guy and he said yes, I have TMJ. Then he basically said I just had to deal with it.
I have been researching on this site and others and have been looking for a night guard. Some are way too expensive, so I decided to start a bit conservative..
I purchased a Aqualizer Floating Action Oral Splint. It was about $13.00 and is supposed to last for about 2 months, depending on how badly I grind and clench. Anyway....after only 2 nights, I feel so much better. I do not wake up with an earache, and my jaw is only slightly sore. Much better. I am hoping that with using this regularly, my jaw MIGHT stop hurting.
If this continues to work for me, I will probably search around for another type of guard, one that I don't have to replace every 2 months.
Anyway...so far, this has seemed to help me.
Rubydoo..
For the past few years, I have been waking up more and more with a terrible left earache, and just an overall soreness along my jawline. I went to an Ears-Nose-Throat guy and he said yes, I have TMJ. Then he basically said I just had to deal with it.
I have been researching on this site and others and have been looking for a night guard. Some are way too expensive, so I decided to start a bit conservative..
I purchased a Aqualizer Floating Action Oral Splint. It was about $13.00 and is supposed to last for about 2 months, depending on how badly I grind and clench. Anyway....after only 2 nights, I feel so much better. I do not wake up with an earache, and my jaw is only slightly sore. Much better. I am hoping that with using this regularly, my jaw MIGHT stop hurting.
If this continues to work for me, I will probably search around for another type of guard, one that I don't have to replace every 2 months.
Anyway...so far, this has seemed to help me.
Rubydoo..
Sponsor
jmdombr
09-20-2004, 10:57 PM
Which model did you purchase?
I see there are many differnt styles
Like medium, ultra etc..
Thanks
I see there are many differnt styles
Like medium, ultra etc..
Thanks
rubydoo63
09-21-2004, 08:41 AM
HI.
I wasn't sure, so I went with the Medium size. It seems to fit ok. I have been using it for 3 nights now. I really like it, but I grind so much at night that I don't think this one will last longer than 2 weeks.
I need to find one that is a bit more permanent.
I wasn't sure, so I went with the Medium size. It seems to fit ok. I have been using it for 3 nights now. I really like it, but I grind so much at night that I don't think this one will last longer than 2 weeks.
I need to find one that is a bit more permanent.
Jackie284
09-25-2004, 10:20 AM
Hi there,
this sounds really interesting, i suppose a bit like sleeping on a waterbed! - you muscles would not be pressed against any hard surfaces ?? - I am wondering also which one to get, I am in the UK, so i'd rather get a couple at the same time, but am worried I may bite holes in it, as I have bitten through other plastic guards in the past,. Any ideas anyone ??
thanks
Jackie
this sounds really interesting, i suppose a bit like sleeping on a waterbed! - you muscles would not be pressed against any hard surfaces ?? - I am wondering also which one to get, I am in the UK, so i'd rather get a couple at the same time, but am worried I may bite holes in it, as I have bitten through other plastic guards in the past,. Any ideas anyone ??
thanks
Jackie
angtaylor
09-27-2004, 10:45 PM
I think the company is located in the UK (so it may be easier for you to get).
One thing I'd worry about, though, is that the "chewy" feeling may actually *encourage* grinding (kind of like how chewing gum, and grinding itself, is stress-relieving). When I first began grinding, I used one of those sports mouthguards (cut down and boiled to fit my bite), but I found it did make me grind more. It's true there may be less resistance in the opposite direction (towards the teeth), and may be easier on the jaw itself, than a typical acrylic nightguard, but I'd rather get to the root of the problem - eliminating the grinding itself. Let me know if it helps though!
One thing I'd worry about, though, is that the "chewy" feeling may actually *encourage* grinding (kind of like how chewing gum, and grinding itself, is stress-relieving). When I first began grinding, I used one of those sports mouthguards (cut down and boiled to fit my bite), but I found it did make me grind more. It's true there may be less resistance in the opposite direction (towards the teeth), and may be easier on the jaw itself, than a typical acrylic nightguard, but I'd rather get to the root of the problem - eliminating the grinding itself. Let me know if it helps though!
Jackie284
10-01-2004, 11:47 AM
Hi angtaylor,
you know i was thinking about that, that it might encourage me to grind. I probably would not have bothered considering it, only when i saw the post from rubydoo, saying it made her feel much better, i thought i'd give it a try. I ordered a couple of different sizes, see which one is better. What treatment do you think works best for you ? I don't know whether to go to my doc's and ask for a muscle relaxant - have you had any success with them ?
many thanks
Jackie
you know i was thinking about that, that it might encourage me to grind. I probably would not have bothered considering it, only when i saw the post from rubydoo, saying it made her feel much better, i thought i'd give it a try. I ordered a couple of different sizes, see which one is better. What treatment do you think works best for you ? I don't know whether to go to my doc's and ask for a muscle relaxant - have you had any success with them ?
many thanks
Jackie
Halls
10-01-2004, 01:35 PM
I purchased a night gaurd 3 years ago and it still works good thankfully. It was $500 and well worth it, but I am having problems that can't be helped w/the night gaurd so I may be spending more money, GRRRR!
angtaylor
10-02-2004, 12:16 PM
I currently have an acrylic nightguard, which of course doesn't help the TMJ, but protects my teeth from being ground down to nubs. I've tried muscle relaxers (amytriptyline and flexeril), which some say have helped, so I suppose it depends on the person, but I tend to sleep very heavily anyway and it just knocked me out - I still ground though, just was less aware of it and woke up very groggy. I think the amytriptyline in higher doses may help, as it does function as a tricyclic antidepressant and thus decrease stress (I bumped up to 75mg at night, and I weigh about 100 pounds), but I still didn't like the groggy feeling waking up (it was hard to stay awake in morning classes). Some say the aftereffects go away after 6-8 weeks, but it didn't happen with me.
I'm currently trying the Grindalert (see 2 posts titled 'grindalert'), but the company is kinda sketchy right now, as they're not returning voice messages. It's a home biofeedback device that wakes you up when you start grinding. I guess if you can easily fall back asleep it's ok (like me), but if you're a light sleeper, you may wake up feeling tired. I'd take tired anyday over sore jaw. Plus the less I brux, the better my teeth feel (I have recessing gums/periodontal disease, despite daily flossing, due to grinding).
So, my theory is that doctors are trying to make money off of us - it's easier for them (and more profitable) to treat the problem symptomatically (make expensive nightguards, sell drugs, surgeries) than to get to the root of the problem - stress, and how we handle it. We bruxers tend to relieve stress orally - chances are, we're smokers/nail biters/overeaters/gum chewers etc. We need to find other ways to relieve stress. Biofeedback (clinical/professional biofeedback, if funds allow) sounds like a great idea to me - it'll stop the behavior, and hopefully channel the stress to a different route (exercise, yoga, even foot-tapping is healthier).
Sorry for the diatribe; I guess I'm on a roll. Let me know if it helps!
I'm currently trying the Grindalert (see 2 posts titled 'grindalert'), but the company is kinda sketchy right now, as they're not returning voice messages. It's a home biofeedback device that wakes you up when you start grinding. I guess if you can easily fall back asleep it's ok (like me), but if you're a light sleeper, you may wake up feeling tired. I'd take tired anyday over sore jaw. Plus the less I brux, the better my teeth feel (I have recessing gums/periodontal disease, despite daily flossing, due to grinding).
So, my theory is that doctors are trying to make money off of us - it's easier for them (and more profitable) to treat the problem symptomatically (make expensive nightguards, sell drugs, surgeries) than to get to the root of the problem - stress, and how we handle it. We bruxers tend to relieve stress orally - chances are, we're smokers/nail biters/overeaters/gum chewers etc. We need to find other ways to relieve stress. Biofeedback (clinical/professional biofeedback, if funds allow) sounds like a great idea to me - it'll stop the behavior, and hopefully channel the stress to a different route (exercise, yoga, even foot-tapping is healthier).
Sorry for the diatribe; I guess I'm on a roll. Let me know if it helps!