stress and nerves and teeth

LegacyUser

i've got this deadline to meet, its less than two weeks away, and its important, like my career depends on it.

i'm working from home but the work i'm doing involves me having to sit at my computer for hours, like from 11 am til 2 or 3 am, with a few hour or 2 hour breaks through the day for eating, taking a walk etc.

the work is going ok, i'm not really that worried about it, but i guess my stress is coming out in a physical way rather than a mental way, which is actually really the best situation at the moment, because if i got mentally stressed right now i might freak out and not get anything done...

basicly, i keep finding myself clentching my teeth together, and my jaw kind of has this constant dull pain from it, keeps popping out of place and someitmes its making my teeth hurt. its not really anything a doctor or dentist can help with i think, i just need some advice from anyone whos been in this situation before...

how can i make myself relax my jaws? is there something else i can be doing that will help, but not take much time from my work?

sorry if this is the wrong forum, but i wanted to go unreged cause some of the people i work for post here... thanks

Esel

Why do you think a dentist couldn't help???

AFAIK, you can get some type of mouthguard that helps with teeth grinding. Maybe something like this would help you?

Or something simpler, like chewing gum?

Blub2k4

I dont think this is a dental issue, stopping the teeth doing physical damage to each other is not the desired result, rather stopping the teeth grinding in the first place.

Is there no way that you can destress a bit, I think the self-diagnosis is correct in this case possibly.

Can you do this to yourself long term? If it's having that effect on you physically what other damage may you be doing to yourself?

Miss Fluff

How about sucking on boiled sweets?

deedee lepoopoo

I had that in the past it's TMJ. Where you grind your teeth at nighttime and you get headaches and earaches. A gumshield is recommended to wear at nighttime. Try to relax before you go to sleep by reading etc. have comfy pillows. It is recommended that you don't chew anything too chewy such as steak.

LegacyUser

deedee lepoopoo wrote:

I had that in the past it's TMJ. Where you grind your teeth at nighttime and you get headaches and earaches. A gumshield is recommended to wear at nighttime. Try to relax before you go to sleep by reading etc. have comfy pillows. It is recommended that you don't chew anything too chewy such as steak.

thanks for the advice. but i dont think i'm doing it so much in my sleep, and its not really a grinding thing so much as just my jaw feeling tight all the time, like i'm just carrying my stress there. sometimes when i first wake up i can feel that yeah, i am deffinately biting down really hard, but i think that thats from the stress of waking up, or else its the thing that wakes me up. hopefully anyway, but its only when i'm at the computer that its a problem..

i suppose i can be thankful that i'm working on a lap top so i get to sit different positions and stuff, when i had to work for long periods on a desk top i'd be driving myself mad twitching my right foot all the time..

i've started trying to redirect the stress to my abdomen and tighten my stomach muscles instead of my jaw, in the hopes that the stress might have a positive effect and make my tummy muscles tighter instead..

Esel

clentchy wrote:

.. i've started trying to redirect the stress to my abdomen and tighten my stomach muscles instead of my jaw, in the hopes that the stress might have a positive effect and make my tummy muscles tighter instead..

Not a smart move. You should be relaxing your stomach muscles, breathing with your diaphragm etc.

If you are waking up with jaw pain, there's a good chance you are grinding your teeth in your sleep. Google 'bruxism'.

LegacyUser

esel wrote:

Not a smart move. You should be relaxing your stomach muscles, breathing with your diaphragm etc.

If you are waking up with jaw pain, there's a good chance you are grinding your teeth in your sleep. Google 'bruxism'.

thanks, i looked that up. its really depressing, as there seems to be no way to prevent or cure it, and they say it leads to hearing loss, cavities, teeth breaking and joint damage.

in certinally hope its just a temporary thing for me, although i remeber always hearing my mum grind her teeth in her sleep.. but i suppose shes in her late 50's, isn't deaf, still has her own teeth and doesn't complain about mad headaches or ear aches..

one of the suggestions i read was having something like a straw in your mouth so that u dont create a vaccume, which leads to clentching harder, so i think i'll try that while i'm working on the computer anyways...

lost_for_words

Im really glad you posted this. I have the exact same problem.

I'm in the middle of exams and although mentally I dont feel overly stressed it would appear my jaw has other opinions. While I have been studying I notcied I was getting loads of headaches and eventually realised most of the pain was due to the fact that my jaw was locked shut.
I'm doing it during the exams too even though I feel really relaxed and so far things have gone well. When i come out of the exam my ears feel like they are going to explode they hurt so much and of course then I cop on to the fact that I've been clamping my teeth shut.
ok mini rant over - am hoping it goes away when exams are over.

tk123

clentchy wrote:

thanks, i looked that up. its really depressing, as there seems to be no way to prevent or cure it, and they say it leads to hearing iloss, cavities, teeth breaking and joint damage.

Holy crap the dentist never told me that!!!:eek: Anyhoos OP you should head to the dentist to be sure you're not doing any damage - I was grinding my teeth for ages before I realised and have pains in my jaw and ears to show for it:rolleyes: I clench my teeth all the time when I'm stressed - when I catch myself doing it i try to take a break - go to the shop/email a friend/have a browse on boards etc.

ergonomics

clenchy wrote:

iits not really anything a doctor or dentist can help with i think

The dentist can help. I was doing the same thing and he made a special retainer that stops me doing it. Go to the dentist and ask their advice. Better safe than sorry.

LegacyUser

from what i've heard those retainers are a really bad idea. if u use them a lot they make yr teeth move, so they dont meet any more. and since the problem is clentching, its not going to have any real affect on the headaches/gum problem side of things. they only work for grinding, and only temporarily.

shelly_g

First Post !!!

am delighted to see other people have experienced this...i have had terrible pain in my jaws for ages...seen my GP + dentist ...was on painkillers..it seems to be linked to my stress levels ..as i know i clench my teeth when stressed ...then a few hours later the pain kicks in ... i make an effort to try & relax jaws when stressed but not the easiest thing to do ...

i find placing gum between teeth can help cushion the pain ....but cant go around like that all day ...im at the stage of nearly getting used to it now

tk123

clentchiod wrote:

from what i've heard those retainers are a really bad idea. if u use them a lot they make yr teeth move, so they dont meet any more. and since the problem is clentching, its not going to have any real affect on the headaches/gum problem side of things. they only work for grinding, and only temporarily.

I've been wearing one for 5+ years and i've had no probs like that. Some people use boil in the bag type ones to save money (:rolleyes: )but I have a hard resin one made from an impression of my teeth and then filed down to fit them. It's not going to stop me grinding but it protects my teeth so they don't get smashed...

Tori

I get some pain in my jaws too but when I'm in bad traffic trying to make it to places on time. I also had terrible problems with my back and shoulders due to hunching over the PC in work when under stress. The best thing I have found was to visit a chiropractor which will relax you anyway but mine showed me how to do breathing techniques to de-stress from your head to your toes. I know you may look odd, but when I notice my teeth clenching or I'm getting uptight, I take a deep breath in slowly, blow out my cheeks and exhale slowly dropping your shoulders and arms. Do this a few times and stretch your mouth or let it drop open slightly. It will eventually become habit and you will reap the benefits.:)

shelly_g

Good advise Tori ... breathing excercises are a great idea.....

I visited a chiropractor last year for my neck & back...I was amazed at how knotted up my neck was with stress ...I guess he solved the neck issue & i then took the stress out on my poor teeth & jaws....need something to cure the stress altoghether ....will give your advise a go

Tori

shelly_g wrote:

Good advise Tori ... breathing excercises are a great idea.....

I visited a chiropractor last year for my neck & back...I was amazed at how knotted up my neck was with stress ...I guess he solved the neck issue & i then took the stress out on my poor teeth & jaws....need something to cure the stress altoghether ....will give your advise a go

Well I think the only other alternatives are, give up work, driving, relationships with loved ones, family and friends, stop listening to the news and go and live on your own somewhere in the wilderness!!