Question:
never did it before!

I am 3 mos post-op, and since surgery, I have a horrendous teeth-grinding problem at night. I have never EVER been a person who grinds thier teeth while sleeping. Maybe it could be a vitamin deficiency? Please help. any info would be great!    — badmaxxi (posted on May 27, 2003)

May 27, 2003
I have always heard that "grinding your teeth" was a "dental" problem????
   — Eleanore Davis

May 27, 2003
It's not necessarily a dental problem... people can grind their teeth at night because of stress, allergies, sinus pressure, headaches, etc. There are a lot of reasons for grinding your teeth. I grind my teeth on occasion, when I do it I know it is sign of a migraine coming and to take my medication as soon as I wake up or brace myself for a horrible day. I hope you find what the reason is for grinding your teeth and it's something that's easily remedied. :)
   — Kimberly J.

May 27, 2003
It could be from stress. I don't know of any vitamin deficiencies that would cause this, although low iron will cause you to chew ice so having your iron checked might not be a bad idea. If your labs come back o.k., you can buy mouthguards (like they use for sports). Get the kind you can heat up then bite into to form it to your teeth. This should prevent damage to your teeth (they can eventually crack). Good Luck.
   — Carolyn M.

May 27, 2003
I grind my teeth really bad. I have been told it's from my TMJ(lockjaw), been told it's stress, been told it's from teeth problems, could be from my sleep apnea and also just a bad habbit. I don't even know lol, but I do it and my daughter is doing it and she's only 3yrs. old. We both do it when were really tierd or in our sleep, it's not a all day thing. Good luck!
   — Sandy M.

May 27, 2003
I looked online and found that low levels of magnesium and calcium may cause this. Are you taking the correct type of calcium for your surgery? (Calcium citrate for RNY) How about your daily multivitamin with iron? Be sure not to take them at the same time and to divide the calcium up into 500 mg doses. Hope this helps!
   — ctyst

May 27, 2003
I just wanted to comment on one of the answerer's posts. TMJ is NOT lockjaw. Lockjaw is another name for TETANUS, which is caused by a bacteria. Here's a definition of TMJ from the TMJ Association: "TMJ diseases and disorders refer to a complex and poorly understood set of conditions, manifested by pain the the area of the jaw and associated muscles and limitations in the ability to make the normal movements of speech, facial expression, eating, chewing, and swallowing. Conditions that routinely affect other joints in the body, such as arthritis and trauma, also affect the TM joint." <P> As a longtime sufferer of TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding), just wanted to share what finally has helped me. I have been getting Botox shots in the muscles in my jaw and my temples so that I don't grind or clench my teeth much anymore. I've been getting them every 3 months for the past 3 years and they've been the ONLY thing to help with the pain, headaches, and damage to my teeth (which I've spent a lot of $$$ on these past 3 years to repair). My neurologist gives me the Botox shots. Your best bet is to contact your dentist first and go from there, as it could be a problem with malocclusion. If not, then you'd have to go further to investigate what's causing you to grind. Wearing a mouth guard didn't help me...I just ground into the guard and it actually made my TMJD worse. I hope you find your answer. Hugs, Joy
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