Stressin'

Well Im nearing the end of my Arts course. Just submitted my final essay!!! 

My final exam is due on 26 May the same day I leave for the USA. Im stressing out!! So much so that I started to clench my teeth in my sleep. I have been waking up with blood blisters all over my tongue. Went to the dentist today for a cleaning/check up and he wants to have an "appliance" made for me to keep me from clenching. My tongue is a mess and my jaw is sore. My dentist said he sees this all the time from students around finals and its all from stress. Anyone else stressing out? 

I'm not stressed out now, because I'm just doing research.  But your story sounds exactly like mine.  I was heading back to the US on the day of my last exam and ground my teeth with incredible verocity for about a month leading up to move/exam.   I had the worst head, jaw and neckaches every morning.  I got fitted with a rubber mouthguard that I had to wear at night and it helped a lot.  It was icky sleeping with something in my mouth, but it did help.  Definately get one.

Hang in there!  You'll be fine.

Carrie what was it like sleeping with that in your mouth? Was it fitted for your uppers or lowers. The dentist said its my choice. The price is £60 which is a lot of money if Im not going to be able to deal with sleeping with it. Im thinking of putting it off till Oct till my next courses start. Just gotta get through this month!!!!

Hey Pebbles...

I can totally sympathise....I've got tmj and I'm a terrible clencher.  I've tried both the soft, rubbery type appliance and the hard acrylic kind that's more like an orthodontic applicance.  I found the soft one made me gag, but I could sleep w/the hard one in.  Both offered relief from sore jaws/headaches in the morning.

For the sore muscles, I found that ibuprofen worked well.  I also found that rubbing the jaw joints with a little spearmint oil or even Olbas Oil helped to warm up the joint and relax it.  Also, although some dentists say it's a big no-no w/tmj, chewing gum helps keep me from getting muscle spasms in the joint.

Good luck!

Modified to add...usually the appliances were fitted for the top.  The most effective I had consisted of two appliances...one for the top and one for the bottom.  But it was really hard to talk w/both of them in!

Pebbles I also have that problem - I have ridges both on the sides of my tongue and inside my cheeks...it is really annoying.  I have had it for a number of years now due to stress.  The dentist noticed that the enamel on the surfaces of my teeth were being worn away from it and I got a mouthguard for it.  It does help quite a lot although I don't wear it as consistently as I should.  But I notice when I wear it for a while the ridges in my mouth get much smaller....

Mine is for my upper teeth and it is a little like wearing a retainer (if you had one) but I got used to it pretty quickly.  Sometimes I inadvertently take it out while I'm sleeping and find it in the bed somewhere.    Otherwise I wake up with it in and it's fine.  It just is kind of gross when you wake up.  You also should brush it regularly obviously since it's all covered in spit and stuff.  

It's definitely worth it though as Carrie said.

Mine was for the upper.  It isn't as bulky as a sports mouthguard and it fit all the way over the roof of my mouth.  My only problem with it was that I would suck really hard on it as I was falling asleep (apparently I needed to get some kind of mouth pain fix, I was addicted!).  So I would get little headaches from that.  But it wasn't as bad as when I didn't wear it. 

The other problem was that it gave me horrific morning breath.  I guess people weren't designed to hold things in their mouths at night.    If you get one make sure to ask how to clean it.  I used denture cleaner on mine.

They are expensive.  And you might end up grinding right through it after a while, depending on how bad you are.  I went through mine where it covered my canines.  But it still has to be cheaper than what you'd need to do if you wore down all your enamel or ended up with a seriously bad TMJ disorder.

If you get one make sure to ask how to clean it.  I used denture cleaner on mine.

I used regular toothpaste on it before I put it in and after I took it out, but also soaked using denture tabletc.

And I've chewed right through them before as well!  In fact, there are big chunks missing from my current appliance so I can't even wear it at the moment...

Wow you guys actually chewed through it?  I haven't done that yet - but it's probably because I don't wear it consistently.  Like this week I've been nearly as stressed as I've been since we moved here but still I haven't worn mine.   

I also use regular toothpaste and the little denture tablets but I'm finding they don't work that well - mine looks really gross!!  And as Carrie said they are really gross when you wake up...

Thanks for everyone's replies. God we are a bunch of nutters!
Ill make an appt for my impressions. This is gross but my mouth always tastes of blood from the blood blisters on top as well as under my tongue.

hello pebs!

I am coming up for air from stuyding/procrastinating/mostly procrastinating.  I grind my teeth so bad a dentist once asked me if I chewed on rocks.  I've broken six teeth and one crown because of it.  Get the headgear!  I've got to find a dentist here....

I am going back to studying/procrastinating now.  I have exams on the 18th, 23rd, and 24th.   

I made myself so worried the other day that my back clenched up and wouldn't come undone.  It took 7 hours.  Then, my stomach got upset and I threw up.  er.  I think I will be able to fly after exams for lack of stress.

adios and good luck!!

Well?  How'd it all turn out?  Are you still grinding away?