August 16, 2007
Surya Namaskar
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article for the lovely people at 3-A-Day, about what to wear when you’re working out. When the article went live, I sent Wade the link, with a little note that said, “There’s a typo in the first paragraph. Dammit.”
He shot back, “The only typo I can see is the claim that you EXERCISE.”
He’s so funny.
Yesterday I went to the dentist (this is related, I swear to you) and she confirmed that yes, I am indeed most likely grinding my teeth. She based this diagnosis on a variety of things, including the fact that while the hygienist was cleaning my teeth, my jaw popped loudly enough that everyone in the office could HEAR IT. The dentist offered to make me an Extra Fancy Custom Mouth Guard to wear when I’m sleeping, which seemed like a good idea until I saw the estimate for making said Extra Fancy Custom Mouth Guard and learned from the nice woman in charge of the estimate that NEVER ONCE in all the years she has worked for this dentist, who specializes in TMJ and makes these guards all the time, had an insurance company picked up ANY of the cost of the Extra Fancy Custom Mouth Guard.
Also, I have three cavities! Hooray!
I was already skeptical about the whole mouth guard thing, partly because I’m not sure I can sleep with a PIECE OF PLASTIC in my mouth, but mostly because a substantial part of the grinding and jaw clenching actually goes on while I am awake and I’m pretty sure the night guard isn’t going to help that. And when I saw that the bill for the Extra Fancy Custom Mouth Guard would be over a thousand dollars, I started to think that maybe I should take some yoga classes instead. You can take a LOT of yoga classes for a thousand dollars.
(See, I told you there was a connection to the 3-A-Day article.)
Yesterday, after I decided that I could beat the teeth-grinding on my own, without medical intervention, I spent a lot of time consciously trying to relax, or at least take deep breaths. At bed time, I was willing myself not to worry about things because really, what is there to worry about? when Wade came in to tell me that the dripping noise we had been hearing all evening and blaming on the kids who NEVER turn the faucets in their bathroom off all the way was actually coming from the upstairs air conditioner.
Which was leaking. Or something, we’re not really sure, but we bailed the water (why is there water? can someone tell me that?) and unplugged the unit and turned the system off.
And got ready to be hot all night, which probably made me grind my teeth MORE.
I’ve called the AC man and he’s coming when he gets here, which will not be soon enough. Meanwhile it’s supposed to be 103 today and the upstairs is already hot as hell. LITERALLY hot as Hell. I’m pretty sure Satan is watching TV in the playroom right now.
Today’s yoga practice will include a Sun Salutation, but probably not this one. If you get my drift.
Posted by Susan @ 8:26 am • just happy to be here, thinking about the weather, fretful and worrisome, other places
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August 16th, 2007 at 8:40 am, Catherine Says:
I have the extra fancy mouth guard thingy. My dentist had the good sense to say that I DO NOT have TMJ. That I merely grind my teeth. And after 15 years with one (no, not the same one) I have trouble falling asleep without it. There are some drug store alternatives in the $30 price range that might be worth experimenting with.
August 16th, 2007 at 8:42 am, mamalang Says:
You can use a standard sports mouth guard, but they aren’t as comfortable and don’t last as long. It’s expensive, but worth it.
August 16th, 2007 at 8:49 am, Susan Says:
I don’t have TMJ, although apparently my dentist was willing to say that I did if it would get the insurance to cover any part of the mouth guard. Which it won’t.
I may still do it, I’m just hoping that maybe things will calm down a little bit here and I will relax and . . .
Right.
August 16th, 2007 at 8:54 am, Kate P Says:
I have the Extra Fancy Custom Mouth Guard. Every night I put it in my mouth, and every morning I wake up with it in my bed. I asked the hygienist about it, and she laughed and told me that a lot of people have that problem, and then she told me there was nothing that I could do about since I was actually the one taking it out of my mouth.
Go for the plastic sports mouth guard. You will look more ridiculous, but you can use the $990 that you saved to go shoe shopping.
August 16th, 2007 at 9:11 am, Janssen Says:
My problem is just what you described; I always think “I could do X,Y,orZ (all of which are significantly more fun) with this money I’m spending on registering the car or buying cleaning supplies. . .boring.”
August 16th, 2007 at 9:13 am, Heather B. Says:
When I went to the dentist for my teeth grinding it was about three months after college so I had like seven dollars. And when he checked it out and then told me about the plastic thingy, I got fitted for it and was like, Ok awesome. Then they showed me how much it would be and I actually said and loudly “Are you fucking kidding me??” and then stormed out of the office and cried.
Then my mommy took care of it and paid the $500 for my piece of plastic that I haven’t worn in about 10 months. In fact it’s probably still in that suitcase that’s been in the middle of my floor since May.
August 16th, 2007 at 10:03 am, Mir Says:
I also found that my mouthguard had a funny way of landing on the opposite side of the room from me while I was sleeping. I think I didn’t like wearing it.
You can compromise between a fancy one and a generic sports one (mine was designed for teeth-grinding but way cheaper than the dentist one), but unless you can actually keep it in your mouth it’s sort of a moot point.
I was grinding so much that my teeth were starting to CRACK. I worked on relaxation techniques when I couldn’t keep the guard in, and it helped a bit.
August 16th, 2007 at 10:07 am, Laura Says:
Did you know that a hazard of seamstresses is wearing down their teeth? From biting the ends off of thread, etc. I never knew this till another seamstress told me and I confirmed with my dentist.
So if anyone sews a lot, don’t bite your thread! (Hope your grinding gets better.)
August 16th, 2007 at 11:44 am, regan Says:
Go to Target’s dental care aisle. There you can find kinda-sorta, not so fancy mouth guards. You boil them and then put them in your mouth for a custom fit. (not as scary as it sounds) Best $25 I’ve ever spent. I sleep so much better now that I have one.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:24 pm, Shan Says:
OK, so AS SOON AS I left my comment on your last post about the teeth-grinding issue, wherein I claimed that I stopped doing it once my newborn(s) started sleeping through the night, I seriously started doing it again. I’m not even kidding. Like, that very night, and every night since. I’m not blaming you, Susan. I swear. But soon after that post, I went to the dentist myself for a routine checkup, where they told me I need a mouth guard, and that it is expensive, and that my insurance likely won’t cover it, either. (As I said in my last comment, I’ve been through the whole mouth guard thing before, for years, and I always hated them, even though I guess they sort of worked. My dentist says the real reason I need one is that I am going to wear away the enamel at this rate.)
I’m not sure what to do. I have no idea what I’m so stressed about, and just like you I try to tell myself there really isn’t anything to worry about. I mean, really—that the laundry won’t get done? that preschool starts in 2 weeks? that the baby will wake up too early in the morning and I’ll have to get up to nurse at 5:30 a.m.? it just doesn’t quite seem like enough to grind my teeth over. And yet, I am.
August 16th, 2007 at 3:30 pm, Wendy Says:
There is always water in your a/c unit. I would venture to say it is condensation. We had the same problem with a leak when we had our new unit installed upstairs. They didnt tighten something or spilt something. Hell, I have no idea. All I know is that I didnt have to pay for the plumber to come and fix it. I do however have a large water stain on my ceiling. Dont ask it was the deal made with the A/C company. Now, if the husband can get the courage to get a ladder tall enough and either paint over it or bleach it, all will be good. I wont hold my breath.
August 16th, 2007 at 3:53 pm, Susan Says:
It turns out that the drain was clogged (drain for what, you ask, and I say I HAVE NO IDEA) and now it is unclogged. Also the water sensor wasn’t working (you know the thing that’s supposed to know when there is an unusual amount of water under the unit and SHUT IT OFF) which was why there was so damn much water.
It’s all better now. Thank god.
I’m considering all of your OTC mouth guard options. Also drinking a nice pinot, which I feel certain will help.
August 16th, 2007 at 3:54 pm, Debra Says:
Hah! I just had to have a “strange” cavity filled that was caused by biting thread. And I grind my teeth.
I hate the athletic mouth guards, and I haven’t found one that’s comfortable or comes close to fitting when I boil it. (I have a smallish mouth. Yes, I do!) I used to have a nice mouthguard I bought at the drugstore, but they don’t make them anymore. I miss it.
Now I use SleepRight. http://tinyurl.com/3yg6sx Not as nice, but it’s saving the surface of my teeth (which are chipping into nothingness).
If you decide to use an athletic mouthguard, try to fit it to your lower teeth. They stay in better, don’t bother you as much in your sleep. And in my case, didn’t make me drool Lake Erie on my pillow every night like the expensive dentist one did.
BTW, back in the 80s, my insurance did pay for mine; but so many people got them, that all insurance quit.
August 16th, 2007 at 4:45 pm, Elizabeth Says:
Susan, I just got one of those about a week ago and my insurance DID pick up about half the cost. We paid a little under $400 out of pocket for it.
Mine snaps in place pretty securely so I do keep it in all night. I don’t love it yet, but if it saves my teeth…
Oh and I have TMJ too, complete with some frightening jaw popping.
August 16th, 2007 at 5:03 pm, NothingButBonfires Says:
I have terrrrrrrrrible TMJ. Which means I also have very easy access to Valium, but apart from that, it sucks.
Anyway, I had the Very Fancy Mouthguard made and wore it for several years, convinced it was responsible for the diminished pain in my jaw. And then I lost it. And I freaked out that the pain was going to come back, and oh my god, I’d have to pay $700 for a new one. And because I didn’t have $700, I didn’t bother to get a new one, and guess what? The pain didn’t come back.
So then, like, two years later, I FOUND the Very Fancy Mouthguard (here is something weird: it was INSIDE a package of NyQuil), and I realized that maybe I’d never actually needed it.
So, I don’t know, make of that what you will. And I can always send Valium.
August 16th, 2007 at 5:08 pm, NothingButBonfires Says:
ALSO, I tried to tell the dentist that I didn’t think I was grinding my teeth at night, that I was pretty aware of doing it (along with the jaw clenching) in the daytime, and do you know what he said? He told me to wear the mouthguard in the DAY. And so I did, and I’d just started my first job out of college, and I was a receptionist, and so every time I answered the phone, it was like “Hi, thish ish Holly, thanksh for calling, how can I direct your call?”
August 16th, 2007 at 5:44 pm, Susan Says:
Holly, I think I love you even more after reading all that than I already did.
Send Valium. PLEASE.
August 16th, 2007 at 7:02 pm, Selfmademom Says:
I have awful TMJ and have worn a night guard for 7 years. The thing’s so freaking crusty by now though that I’m dying to get a new one, but of course don’t want to pay for it. Is that gross of me? I’d rather buy a fab pair of shoes than a piece of plastic, you know?
August 16th, 2007 at 7:09 pm, Lia Says:
My dentist suggested that I quit chewing gum, that the effect of chewing gum can be a sort of pre-cursor to grinding my teeth.
I have ground a couple of teeth down. Til they cracked. Nice, eh? I used to have dreams that my teeth were shattered, even dusty, in my mouth. Gross!
Quit chewing gum. It helps.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:13 am, Country Mouse Says:
For me, not getting the Fancy Custom Nightguard Thingy would have been analogous to, say, not taking antidepressants in the middle of a major depression. It’s easy to justfy inaction when action would be very, very expensive financially… but inaction can be unspeakably costly. Once I started using the nightguard, my several-times-a-day headaches became once-every-few-weeks-or-so headaches. Even better, once I’d used it for a few months, it didn’t matter if I missed a night here and there (unless I was under more stress than usual). I’d wake to find my teeth set lightly apart instead of clenched together. The physical habit of not clenching my jaw at night (because something was in the way) also translated to not clenching my jaw in the day.
That said: I tried an OTC version from a discount store for a while, when my good one disappeared after a trip (turned up again, fortunately!). That was a lousy waste of $10. It didn’t fit, I couldn’t stand it in my mouth, etc. It might be worth shopping around at a couple of dentists, as the cost for my custom-fit one was maybe half what you were quoted.
Now that my nightguard evangelism is over with (I feel mildly embarassed somehow, as if I’ve grabbed you by the collar and shouted in your face instead of writing a long-winded comment that you can skim or skip altogether at your pleasure), I have to add that I appreciate how amusing you can make such a sucktastic day.
August 17th, 2007 at 8:13 am, MaryP Says:
I wonder why yours would be so expensive? Two of my three (adult-sized) children have them, and they cost about $325 CDN. Custom-made, from a dentist.
AND covered on my insurance. Phew.
I probably need one, too: a couple of dentists have commented on the ’striations’ on my molars. Funny that none of them have suggested the Very Fancy thingy for me.
August 17th, 2007 at 8:19 pm, Katherine Says:
When I was in high school and college, my mom said she could hear me grinding my teeth from the next room. So when the dentist told me I cracked a filling due to grinding, I got the custom mouthpiece - which I promptly ground through in less than a year. After 2 of those (fairly comfortable after an initial adjustment period - and not too pricey at less than $100), I ended up with a thicker, heavier plastic mouthpiece. I’ve had this one for years (more than 8). It looks kind of nasty, but I haven’t chewed through it yet. It was also not terribly expensive - certainly not as much as $200, but I don’t really remember.
I’ve worn a mouthpiece for so long now that I don’t sleep as well without it. And the only time I find it on the pillow is when I have a bad cold.
August 18th, 2007 at 3:42 am, Marisa Says:
I have a mouthguard for night time tooth clacking - like a set of wind-up joke teeth. I’ve had it for 7 years now. It looks totally disgusting by now but I love it and can’t sleep well without it. It fits very well and I have no problems with it falling out at night. My husband has one too (different dentist)for his night time grinding and his is always falling out at night(great minds grind alike, eh?).
August 19th, 2007 at 7:15 pm, jenB Says:
I grind and clench as well. My dentist told me to “stop it”. HA! but I too have a fancy mouthguard, of course here, I did not pay for it, insurance did.
My advice? Stop it.
August 21st, 2007 at 9:41 am, Anne Glamore Says:
Check with your dentist, but the problem with my grinding my teeth (which got much worse when my mom died suddenly and we found out my dad had been having an affiar for MANY yrs with this hussy who’s much younger, and he started sneaking around with her again before my mom was BURIED as far as I know)is that mine cracked to the point that i had to have several crowned, and that was REALLY expensive.
Like Katherine, i had to get the heavy duty one because I chewed through the first, but it wasn’t near $1000, but each crown was.
Blech!
August 21st, 2007 at 1:21 pm, jaime Says:
The water is from condensation. Your a/c unit takes the humidity out of hte air, and it condensates it as a way of removal. It should have some sort of tray to catch the water that needs to be emptied from time to time. Or a drain depending on the type of unit.
August 29th, 2007 at 9:25 am, Chris Says:
My daughter had the loud popping noise and her ortho had devised a series of PT exercises which eliminated it. She had to go to PT for a about 4 weeks and now it is fine.
August 29th, 2007 at 10:40 am, Friday Playdate » you would tell me if I were drooling, wouldn’t you? Says:
[…] now, which is really slowing me down. I had two of my four cavities filled this morning (I know, I originally said there were THREE but I was WRONG, how fun is that?) and now every time I go to put ChapStick on (which is about […]
September 7th, 2007 at 10:54 am, Leigh Says:
You are probably going to laugh at me, but I go to the dental school. I had a dentist tell me I needed $5000 worth of work (including cavities filled, crown replaced, mouthguard for grinding I didn’t know I did) and the dentist at the dental school said I didn’t need all that and fixed me up for $800! Want his name?