Jaw clenching at night??

[Timetoshine]

Last night I woke up and I was clenching my jaw SO hard. Don't have a history of doing this. What causes it, should I be concerned, and what can I do to stop?
Thanks

[isthistaken]

That happened to me recently. I woke up and was clenching my front teeth and they were aching terribly!

[Ciara]

I did this for the first month; I think it was from my mouth adjusting to the pressure. It still happens after an adjustment for a night or two but apart from that my clenching has almost completely stopped. I used to wake up most mornings with a headache -for the past 15-20 years!

[Tobilei]

I did it before braces but it has gotten considerably worse since having them on. It's not every night, I seem to go through stages. My ortho thought it might be my mouth adjusting to my changed bite.

[Dee17]

I did this as well. My orthodontist also said it was because of the changes in my bite. He suggested I get a prescription for a muscle relaxant from my family doctor. I ended up getting a prescription for something called an SSRI (serotonin reuptake inhibitor) from my therapist for my anxiety. It has helped me tremendously and I am no longer clenching during the day or at night.

[kt87]

I did it before braces but it has gotten considerably worse since having them on. It's not every night, I seem to go through stages. My ortho thought it might be my mouth adjusting to my changed bite.

I did it before aswell. It got really bad for awhile but haven't noticed it as much lately, though I think I chipped a tooth from doing it a few nights ago I think I'm going to have to speak to my ortho about it, don't want to risk destroying my teeth

[TMJJill]

I think that as your bite is adjusting with the changes in your teeth, your subconscious is trying to find a 'correct' bite and it really makes the clenching worse. Also, the tension that builds in the face/jaw makes things worse.

I used to wear some customized splints for sleeping due to clenching/grinding. I had to give them up when I got my braces on. I had some serious clenching/tongue biting issues for a while. In addition to calling my ENT who gave me some low-dose muscle relaxers to help for a couple weeks while I adjust, I had frequent visits with my orthodontist. He gave me oils to help with relaxation. He also had me start wearing some elastics to hold my jaw in a certain position when I was sleeping. That really did help me a lot. I've continued to wear that configuration of elastics throughout my treatment. I had some pretty serious bite issues though.

If it stays bad, you might try getting some massage or orofacial trigger point releases to help on the muscular side of things. Hopefully for you it is just a phase of your treatment.

[Mylene]

I have lots of jaw clenching problems. The best resource I have found is at www.stopgrinding.com - there's a really good free e-book about clenching and grinding causes and treatments. That website also sells a biofeedback headband, which has honestly changed my life - I used to live in constant pain and now it's all gone. (It beeps when you clench at night so you stop right away.)
Since my ortho gave me elastic bands, I have a stronger tendency to clench...
Good luck!

[rhibee83]

I clench my teeth as well, even before braces, but I have noticed since braces that my clenching is not as bad as it used to be, well, for the moment anyway! I am still clenching, but not as hard as I was, if that makes sense!

[Timetoshine]

I realize I had been using less wax on my brackets for a few days and thus my tongue was feeling around a bit more than normal...

So waxed the tricky brackets more last night before bed and took some ibuprofen - no clenching last night. Also being sure I relax my tongue and jaw as much as possible.

Hopefully no more clenching as it is freaky to wake up to!

Thanks for advice and experiences you have all posted

[CoryDaniels]

Also did this when I first started treatment...I actually chipped a bit of my back tooth because of it. The way it was explained to me was, it is a natural reaction when your teeth are in movement.... your jaws natural reaction is to close. I was informed that practicing sleeping on your back with your head tilted back and relaxing your jaw is the way to do it....

[isthistaken]

Also did this when I first started treatment...I actually chipped a bit of my back tooth because of it. The way it was explained to me was, it is a natural reaction when your teeth are in movement.... your jaws natural reaction is to close. I was informed that practicing sleeping on your back with your head tilted back and relaxing your jaw is the way to do it....

I wonder if this is why I broke a filling a few weeks after getting braces.

[Dee17]

Our jaws are able to exert an incredible amount of force. That may be why.

[isthistaken]

Our jaws are able to exert an incredible amount of force. That may be why.

It fell out first thing in the morning so it makes sense.

[kreyFL]

As a night time grinder/clencher I can tell you this will happen on and off during treatment depending on adjustments, wires, bite changes, and daily habits.

Drinking alcohol most definitely makes it worse (Most of the time its worth it though, lol)

I found that I went through phases...everyone is different but for me it would happen about 2 weeks after an adjustment and would last for a week or two...

Sometimes I would get it back to back and sometimes I'd go weeks and weeks without noticing any clenching.

It will be shortlived and it will happen less as time moves on. Elastics, IMO, helped quite a bit (I started these about 8 months into treatment)

I use the Essix retainers now as they serve as a night time bite guard as well. 6 months after getting my braces off, my bruxism is a non-issue. Our bites are so finicky and they do not response well to change, but once the new bite is the norm our mouths get happy again