Grindding teeth at sleep because of Anxiety disordeR?

Question

ever since i was diagnosed with anxiety disorder i notice my jaw clicks alot when i turn my head side ways with my mouth open. so i asked my doctor he said it was because of the anxiety i grind my teeth at nite and now i get real bad pain on my upper side from the back of my neck and uncomterble feeling and the side's of my head kinda like a head ache but not as intesnse the doctor told me too were a mouth guard but he told me alot of things too doo 2 get 1 from a dentist is thier anothier way too stop grinding teeth? will tea that relax's me prevent me from grinding my teeth? or does anxiety disorder medication work best?

Answer 1

I have a mouth guard made for me by my dentist, but you can buy them in the aisle with the toothpaste and toothbrushes at the store. They don't cost as much, and you boil them to form them to your teeth. This is not the same thing as a sports mouth guard. A sports guard is not designed to sleep in and may aggravate the problem.

Answer 2

I have the same problem, have gnawed through one very expensive mouth gaurd ... even with taking meds and sleeping pills I still clench and grind. I just deal with it... as I've become less anxious, it has become less painful.

I've become less anxious due to the help of CBT therapy ...

Social anxiety can cause these feelings, which can also lead to severe depression,
http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/ds...

if not you could be suffering from Generalized Anxiety
Disorder..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/general_anx...

There is hope; I've been there, and still am there, it is a long, hard struggle. I recommend
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cognitive_b... worked best for me, with mild anti-anxiety meds. I suffered from social anxiety for over 15 years. I've tried individual therapy, and group therapy and studied psychology for 10 years, as a profession, but also with the hope to cure myself.

Depending on your comfort level, you could go to a psychologist that practices CBT and specializes in anxiety disorders, seek a group therapy, or create one. Usually those that do attend the group therapy are a bit more high functioning because as you know, it can be difficult to speak in a group.

Another idea is to see if there are any local research studies being conducted that you could participate in.

The program that finally worked the best for me is this one: http://www.socialanxiety.us/findinghelp.... and I was lucky enough to have a structured behavioral group to go along with it. Sometimes the people that actually attend this program come back home and form groups.

I recommend a mild anti-anxiety med in addition to CBT therapy.

Any questions, let me know ... I can't tell you how much this has improved my life!

Answer 3

Better get the mouth guard from your dentist so that it fits your teeth exactly and will be more comfortable to wear. It won't stop your teeth grinding though but it would protect your teeth. You see, you can grind your teeth down. Since you get headaches, you must be grinding real hard. Better get that mouth guard now.

Answer 4

Actually that sounds more like TMJ. Go to a dentist. I have TMJ, have very little pain but I can't chew things like thick cuts of meat or bagels or gum. there is a mouth piece, which will help you at night. If you grind your teeth in your sleep, it will wear down the surface causing more problems than the TMJ itself.

Answer 5

You have TMJ Disfunction which is usually from stress and clenching of teeth that affects your jaw. The pain is from the muscle tension in your jaw and how it affects all the other muscles in your neck and head.

Learn how to relax before going to bed, massage your jaw gently by the joint (by your ear lobe), gently opening it and closing it. Deep, slow breathing relaxes you too. Take a nice bath, drink some non-caffineated tea like cammomile. Lavender oil drops on your pillow help to relax you before bed. Don't be on the computer or watch TV right before bed either, that can cause tension.

The night guard is a good idea too to help prevent damage to your teeth.

Answer 6

My mom has a mouth guard. It's the most effective. You could try some hot green tea or since tea has some caffeine it could keep you up, try some warm milk...induces sleep and relaxes you