Clenching teeth with braces on

[damien10]

Hello,

So I have had braces for three days now. It's all going well however during the night I wake up due to clenching my teeth real hard I never did this before braces was fitted , why is this and isit normal?

[SpeedyAwesome]

Yes, because I do it all the time. However, I don't bite at night. I only do it in the daytime. I do it because of a reflex to my braces. However, if you are biting the BRACES, I recommend you ask your orthodontist about cushions for the braces or one of those open bite splints. I myself have never had an open bite splint, but I'm only on the 3rd day of Phase Two. If you really want to not clench, just knock yourself right out with whatever remedy works for you. If it's been at least a week since you've gotten your braces, you should ask your orthodontist and talk to him about your clenching problem.
Hope this helped!

[EWUgal15]

Clenching at night can be a response to high levels of stress. That might not be your case...I can tell you that I was a grinder before braces and definitely went through several stages of clenching. It didn't affect my treatment time at all. I had a flexible night guard for the first few months of braces that was loose fitting to allow for movement and protect my teeth from damage if I was grinding. I somehow managed to kick the habit though.

If it becomes a major problem, you can request a prescription for a muscle relaxer from your orthodontist or dentist, but that always seemed like an extreme measure to me. I would mention it to your team so they can monitor and point you in the right direction.

[damien10]

Thanks guys, I will speak to my ortho next time I'm in about it.

I have a question about my brace:
On my brace wires I have what I can only describe as thin tube like bits added on to the wire. What are these?

[Caitrm]

Yes! I feel like I've been doing this too.

[cata]

This happened to me too, especially when I started wearing elastics on both sides.

[hayleyeh]

I clench when I sleep and will wake up clenched.

I have one of those bite guards. Ask your ortho about them and see if they can help you out!

[Ziggy]

Before braces I had a night guard. When I asked if I should still use it my ortho said no, because of all the movement they won't work anymore. Yes, I clench, too, but I think it's because of those bite turbos, buildups he put in. I keep trying to close my mouth which ain't gonna happen.

[Caitrm]

I find myself clenching all the time! Glad to see I'm not alone.

[verso]

Yeah I've been clenching pretty hard lately. Not sure why. I used to grind my teeth when I was a kid but was pretty sure that I grew out if it. Haven't noticed any clenching or grinding since until just recently. I'll ask my ortho when I go in for my next appt

[joicetti]

I've had braces now for just under a month and find myself doing the same thing. It was especially painful in the first week after getting the braces, since my teeth were really sore and so the biting down hard would make my whole face hurt.

In my case I have bumpers in my first upper molars and I *think* my issue is that my mouth is trying to adjust to the new bite that is forming. My teeth don't close all the way because of the bumpers so I'm biting down hard to try to see where my bite is at. I realized this when I found myself clenching during the day, which I definitely didn't do pre-braces. Now whenever I find myself doing it, I try to relax my jaw and that way I'll train myself to no longer do it day or night.