The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

Jo's Teeth Grinding Story... Locking Jaw and Terrible Noise

by Jo
(Essex, UK)

I have been grinding my teeth whilst asleep since I can remember - although I didn't always believe it. When I was younger, I had terrible problems with my jaw. My jaw would lock every time I tried to open it past a certain point. And if I was laying on my back, it would lock open and I'd have to sit up and literally force it closed again - very painful. The doctor I saw said I was grinding my teeth so gave me a bite guard, however, after a year or so he said this wasn't the case as there were no grind marks on the guard. I had a CAT scan and found that my cartilage in my jaw joint was very worn, nearly completely and I was having to dislocate my jaw in order to open and close it every time.

Over time, my jaw problems stopped and now my jaw seems fine - however, since being with my husband and sharing a bed, I have realised how much I grind my teeth. He says the noise is terrible and has even recorded me doing it (quite horrific)! I cannot grind with anywhere near the same strength to make the noise whilst I'm awake! I now have a bite guard (£200 NHS) and it seems to be helping a lot. I still grind whilst wearing it but not as frequently and my teeth are safer! Plus my husband only has to put up with my snoring now!

Click here to post comments.

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Experiences With Bruxism.






Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

Like This Page? Share It!

Site Sponsors

Our sponsorship policy

RespShop.com
Lowest CPAP Prices. World Wide shipping. 866-939-3754.

A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3). It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

Sleep Resources

Ready to take your sleep game to the next level?

Track Your Own Sleep With Zeo Zeo - Personal Sleep Coach
Pro-grade personal sleep data
Essentials of Sleep Knowledge: A Free Book By William Dement Dr. Dement's Essentials
Free for joining our newsletter
Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book SP: A Dreamer's Guide
A breakthrough new e-book

Who We Are

Stanford Sleep & Dreams

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

Hover your mouse over this area for more about this site and its mission.

Or, you can learn more about the team behind EYSD here.

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.