teeth grinding while I sleep

[nancypants]

My husband says I just recently started grinding my teeth while I sleep. Is there any particular reason why I would start doing this. Also can it effect my teeth in any way?

[CrystalClearly]

I was just told recently by my periodontist that I must be grinding my teeth at night and my teeth are losing bone mass.  I also found out that the grinding in my neck is due to arthritis and degenerative discs.  What I can surmise from all this is that I am deficient in calcium, magnesium, and potassium as well as dealing with a recent major surgery, the loss of my home, and moving to a new and stressful environment.  Breathing, stretching, yoga, taking supplements, meditation and visualization exercises are helping.  I do not take medications nor am I likely to go that route.  I believe that the more one focuses on a problem, the bigger it gets.  Rather the focus ought to be in the goal of health.  It's been a series of challenges that have caused me to have neck and bone issues, but I am learning a great deal about what foods we eat and how we breathe and HOW WE THINK.

[Craig82]

You may not need a mouth guard. If it is something that you have jsut recently started doing, then it is mst probably stress. Think about your life in general... any weddings coming up? exams? personal issues? Good stress can contribute as well as bad stress.

You may need an occlusial examination - although this is a specialist area. This time of examination basically tests to see if you are biting more prominently on a single tooth. Do you wake up with a headache or jaw ache?

[LyndaM]

What was the cause of loosing your two teeth from grinding, and how did they determine damaged muscles in jaw?  What was the diagnosis and how was it resolved?  I am going through the same thing i believe...in pain, on motrin,msucle relaxants...and soreness in lower molar.

[Margief60]

Ask your dentist for a mouth guard. They do a cast of yuor teeth and make it right there. It is worth it! I lost two teeth and have developed TMJ from grinding my teeth while I sleep. I have also damagedmuscles in my neck and jaw. Itg took forever to find out the cause but we finally did and I am a new person.

[Jordy]

I don't know why you might start.  It has a lot to due with stress and tension.  Sometimes it's just a bad habit.  But as for your teeth, if done long term it can do irreversible damage to them by causing the enamel to wear off and the tooth grinds down.  I have poor enamel, and also grind my teeth, which is a very unfortunate combination!

Look up "bruxism", that's what it's called.