Hello, hello!
Today I have about twenty minutes to pop in and chat with you all before I need to get back out the door to a hair appointment. I know, hard Tuesday right? Hey… it’s all a part of the professional dancer occupation ya’ll.
My morning started with high hopes of spring. Even though the temperature is currently in the low twenties (still!), the sun is shining bright which always heightens my mood!
To celebrate, I busted out the Coconut flavored Dunkin’ Donuts coffee I have been waiting to try. I also noticed I had a SO Delicious dairy-free coconut creamer in the refrigerator, so it was a winning combination just waiting to happen.
I skipped the stevia and it’s actually pretty good. There is a slight after-bite to it, but that could very well be my sealant coming back to haunt me, thanks to my morning at the dentist’s office.
The last time I went, it was my first time visiting one up north and I am thankful for having found a good one! Everyone is so nice and seem to know exactly what they are doing. I say that because not all of my trips to the dentist’s office have been that way.
Anyways, (down to ten minutes here…) I had a pretty standard visit and completed the rest of my every so often x-rays and such. Nothing too out of the ordinary.
(Gotta love that sweet dentist office swag!)
Towards the end of my cleaning, the dentist came in and reminded me of some of the problem areas he was still concerned about. I have a few spots with what they call abstractions, or gaps where the teeth don’t always meet the gum. I also have a receding gum on the back right side!
Like most of you would do, I asked him what caused it and what I could possibly do to fix the problems before they go any further. He and the hygienist both credited it to teeth grinding and/or clenching at night.
Before moving up here, the idea had never even been brought up to me by my dentist, so it took me by surprise the first time I heard it six months ago. After my last appointment, I agreed to watch my symptoms (waking up with headaches, sore jaws, etc.) and check back in on it today.
Well, the symptoms still exist and paired with the receding gum and abstractions, they all equaled ordering a night guard for me. Better safe than sorry, right?
Luckily, my insurance covered eighty percent of the cost, but it was still wasn’t a cheap thing to “just do.” Actually seeing my receding gum kind of freaked me out and pushed me towards getting one.
I had good ten minute conversation with the hygienist about what else could have caused it and she explained that dentists used to think it was a result of brushing teeth too hard, or with too rough of toothbrushes. This is when all of the “softer but better” toothbrushes came out and people were still having the same problems.
She went on to explain that for some reason Michigan has one of the highest percentages of teeth grinders. Out of all the U.S. And, most of it is caused by stress. (Ha!) Sounds about right with this crazy winter season we have been fighting!
Without any more time to discuss it further right now, I want to hear from you today!
Are you a teeth grinder and/or clencher?
Do you have to wear a night guard?
And if so, has it helped?
I’ll be sure to check back in later this afternoon. Off to my hair appointment!
Happy Tuesday!
![[in our elementary school era] 🚌😭
Skyler did great walking into KINDERGARTEN with a big smile on his face this morning. I, however, was a bit of a mess on our walk home. 🥹
It’s wild how fast these 5 years with him have gone … 7 since we moved to NYC and into our apartment, dreaming of the day our kids would someday go to the *awesome* school right down our block. 🏫
That day is today, and I still don’t believe it — feeling allll of the emotions and thanking God for placing us here and for being able to trust His timing through the journey. 🫶🏼 #hbshinnyc
SO proud of you, SK - you are going to rock your first year at your “big boy school” - WE LOVE YOU !! 🩵👑](https://lifeinleggings.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
I grind my teeth at night (or so my dentist tells me), and was encouraged to get a night guard at my last check-up too! I’ve been putting it off though because my insurance doesn’t cover any of the cost, and I’m afraid it will be really uncomfortable to wear. Would you mind sharing how it goes? Thanks!!
Of course! You know I will let you all in on the results. I have to say I hopeful after speaking with a friend who just went through the same thing… fingers crossed!
Yes, I’ve worn a night guard for at least the last 10 years. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it totally changed my life! Sounds dramatic, but I sleep better, feel better when I wake up and even snore less. Once you get it fitting well, it is not uncomfortable. You get used to it. I will not go to sleep without it!
Wow, that is very comforting to hear! Good for you girl! 🙂
Mine is like a safety blanket now. I have a hard time sleeping without it and I notice when I miss a night both when I wake up (I can feel my teeth have shifted) and when I wear it next (it’s super tight because my teeth shifted). That said, it takes awhile adjust and I was convinced mine was defective for a long time because the dentist says it sends a message to your brain when you clench to release instead if clenching more or grinding but every night as I fell asleep all I wanted to do was clench down on the thing. I’m guessing it’s part of the adjusting to having a hard plastic object in your mouth. But it’s gotta be doing something right because 10 years later and the dentist isn’t telling me I’m damaging my teeth.
That’s exactly how I felt when I wore my retainer. Since I had braces taken off in sixth grade and wore my retainer at night well into college, I eventually threw it out because I didn’t trust it. (Can you imagine how gross it could be? lol) Anyways, I miss it on occasion. And I was actually glad to hear this will also double as a retainer because it will be formed to my teeth!
I have a top and a bottom plastic retainer that cover my teeth that I wear at night when I sleep. At first, I only needed a top retainer but I grind my teeth so I was wearing away the retainer so they created one for my bottom teeth as well. I hate it and it’s annoying, but I’d rather wear those than grind away my enamel!
Yes. Exactly. Better to be a bit annoyed than pay the price later!
Hm… I used to have a receding gum line… enough that it scared me too! But it’s been better for awhile. Good luck!
Glad to hear yours has gotten better!
I too am a teeth grinder. I have a guard, actually on my second, but I’m not great about wearing it. If I’m consistent in wearing it, I get used to how it feels and it doesn’t bother me as much, but as soon as I get out of the habit it feels uncomfortable again. I haven’t noticed that it helps too much but others notice if they are sleeping near me, with my guard in my teeth grinding isn’t so loud.
That’s what I’m worried about. If it isn’t comfortable I’m sure it will be twenty times harder for me to wear it every day.
I have one, but it was made for me about 15 years ago when the chiropractor thought I was grinding my teeth. I wore it for awhile back then and it soon went into the abyss in my bathroom cabinet. Fast forward to this past summer when I had to see a periodontist (as recommended by my dentist) for receding gums. I had always assumed that my receding gums were a result of brushing too hard (I’m OCD like that), but I learned that it was only part of the equation. Clenching my teeth was part of it as well. I was instructed to use my night guard again, but I really wish that had been brought to my attention earlier. Now I am going to need “surgery” to graft some of my gum from the roof of my mouth to the two teeth that are the furthest receded. Not only will it be painful, I will be missing work to have it done and it will cost me a good chunk of money since my dental insurance will only cover part of it.
Long story short, I think the money spent now on a guard may save you time, money and pain in the future! Good luck!
Oh no. I’m sorry to hear you need surgery. I guess the good news is they caught the culprit now at least? I hope everything goes well for you. I’m sure it will be well worth the trouble in the end! Keep your chin up! 🙂
It’s funny because my husband and I were just talking about this two nights ago. We are both teeth grinders, so much so that a few years ago I was told by my doctor I have TMJ (Temporomandibular joint dysfunction) aka I grind my teeth so much that my jaw pops out sometimes and I may need surgery. I got a night guard from my dentist which was wayy expensive but it has helped so much. I don’t have the jaw problems nearllyyy as much as I used to. My husband however just resorted to getting one of the cheap night guards from a drugstore and it basically does the same thing. I secretly wish I had just gotten the cheap one, esp. since I don’t wear it EVERY night. Good luck with it!
Ouch, that sounds painful! Good for you for biting (literally?) (hehe) the bullet and going for it. I heard they have cheaper ones at drugstores, but I was worried about fit and effectiveness. I really lucked out that our insurance covered a big part. Thanks for sharing!
I use to wear a night guard for grinding my teeth and I probably should still wear it. I would grind my teeth so bad/hard that I actually ground holes into the guard.
I have a feeling I will do the same thing. Good thing you got one!
Funny you should say, I’m flying.. (over the border -dental procedures are less expensive in Mexico) to get a couple cavities done. I was quite surprised on my last cleaning that I had cavities! Yikes! I’ve been a teeth grinder since I was a kid and suffered from TMJ from a car accident. I had 2 arthroscopic surgeries done and a mouth guard made years ago but never quite fit comfortably. I definitely need a new one because, I find myself clenching my teeth during the day and still grinding my teeth at night! Stress, maybe?! Haha, yep! Hopefully, I’ll have time to get one made.
Oh wow, you brave soul! I know… I too have had fillings and they aren’t fun. Best of luck to you down there!
I’ve worn a night guard for about 10 years now. I’ve had several different kinds. Just a heads up: The last one I had was the kind that just covered my top, middle teeth (I think it’s called a NTI night guard). I wore it for 2-3 years and it changed my bite. I’ve since done research and they aren’t meant to be worn for an extended amount of time). I’ve got another one now, but the damage is already done. May have to get braces again to fix. Not cool! I can’t sleep without my night guard, but wish I would have known that NTI’s aren’t the way to go… Good luck!
Oh man, thanks for the info on that. I’m sorry to hear you learned about the NTI guard the hard way!
I also am a tooth grinder (and a Michigander…). I have a bite guard, and I wore it for awhile, but I didn’t see a huge difference. I don’t really wear it all that often any more, but even before I knew I ground my teeth at night, I didn’t really have any symptoms.
I’m a clencher (originally from MI, now in Ohio) and the bite guard has seriously changed my everyday life!! It took a few nights to get used to, but now it doesn’t feel right to sleep without it. I had daily headaches and serious recession which have both improved. I truly believe it was an investment in self-care! Crazy, I know! On my third after biting through two… Oops! Good luck!
I don’t think I grind my teeth, but I think I clench from time to time. Maybe more so when I am stressed out. My mom grinds, uses a guard and has loved it. I hope you had a good hair appointment. I love getting my hair done!
I definitely grind my teeth at night and the night guard is going to be over $500. My insurance will not cover any of it. We’ve been looking for cheaper options online so if anyone has any ideas please let me know!! I am worried that it will be uncomfortable and ill hinder any good sleep that I barely am able to get now. It’s comforting to know that others are liking theirs and not having issues.
I don’t grind my teeth but I definitely clench my jaw at night. My whole face would hurt the whole next day so badly it was intolerable! I forked over $300 for a night guard and it has worked WONDERS!! I LOVE it. It took some time to get used to it (a week or so of drool–ew). But I’ve had it for a year now and I rarely sleep without it. Worth the cash if you asked me. Any pain on your face is just too difficult to live with.
I am a teeth grinder and a night guard really does help (when you remember to wear it!!) Dont worry about getting an expensive one. The cheap ones from target work great. I like the smaller/thinner ones more than the bulky ones.
PS- What color do you dye your hair?? I’m obsessed!! It is the PERFECT color!
Thanks for the tips, Kristin! I actually don’t know the exact hair color. I go to Iconic salon, the official sponsor for the Pistons Dancers. They decide my hair color! 😉 But, if I had to guess I would say somewhere in-between a dark burgundy and merlot.
That Michigan teeth grinder fact is highly interesting. It’s unfortunate that so many people in the area find themselves stressed out on a day to day basis.
Night guards are really very helpful to protect your teeth from grinding.