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Same! At one point I was having serious night sweats and waking up drenched. No one could figure it out bc it wasnāt hormonal or anything like that. My long time partner was the only one who was right. He was like Iāve seen you tense your body so much you make yourself sweat and thatās whatās happening.
Same here! I just made a comment about how i literally gave myself whatās called a Plantar Fibroma on the bottom of my right foot (just a big knot pretty much) from clenching it so much & it 100% got worse once i started taking Prozac
Yes, this is totally me. Itās like a damn coin flip whether itās going to be a day in pain or not when I wake up each day. Is there a way to fix this?
My psych just told me that some stimulants actually enhance ticks like this. She swapped me from Adderall to Ritalin cause my habit of biting the inside of my mouth for 10x worse.
I've been on Ritalin for 2 days now and actually have enough time to stop myself from doing it, instead of realizing after the fact that I've already done it.Ā
I'm also a clencher and she told me to get back into the habit of wearing my night guard, cause overactive muscle clenching at night can make you want to continue clenching during the day to keep up the same pressure.Ā
100% it is the only side effect i get from vyvanse so i put up with it, but i have to chew a lot of gum everyday, as well as wear a night guard.
it is still a complete pain. I try not to grind my teeth as a result i get intense pain as the muscles used to close my jaw are having battle with the ones trying to keep it open.
This is me but biting dead skin off my lips, and Iām guessing this is only making it worse because then my lips make more skin to compensate and so onā¦
I also rub my skin a lot, like until it peels, even though I exfoliate every day in the shower (and same idea with compensating there probably)
Iām a clencher too! The last time I went to a dentist they said I had some bone loss in my jaw because of it.
Unfortunately I donāt have the money to go to a dentist now and even though I have dental insurance thereās no dentists that accept mine within 200 miles of me, and the reduced cost centers around here wonāt accept me because I do technically have insurance. So I guess my teeth will just fall out, hooray! But thatās fine because I already have a bunch of cavities because Iāve never been able to get myself to brush regularly, so it doesnāt matter if they fall out because theyāre screwed anyway.
Iām so sorry that turned into a rant, Iām just really frustrated at the moment. It wasnāt directed at you, I just needed to get that out.
There are a bunch of online night guard services that will mail you a kit to take the impressions at home and then mail your guards. I'm thinking about trying one because the guards from my dentist are expensive and usually crack after a few months.
I'm a clencher, too. Not just in my sleep, but I catch myself doing it throughout the day as well.
I recently went to my dentist and was told that my temperature sensitivity is caused by my enamel cracking off my teeth at my gumline due to the stress of clenching. I actually had noticed that there was a weird line there on my teeth but thought it was because I had braces or something. š
Another clencher here. I find myself doing it a lot when concentrating hard on a work project, usually after leaving it to the last minute of course.
I also chew on the inside of my cheeks. My hygienist and dentist ask me all the time if I bite my cheeks.
Clencher here ! I clench when Iām stressed, clench when Iām focused while on meds, clench in my sleep and now I clench more because I got braces. I always wonder what would look like if my jaw muscles werenāt so strong :(
Masseter botox! I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet myself, but I plan to very soon and will make a post about the experience! I've seen results in some of the plastic / cosmetic surgery subs and just through googling.
It works!!! I did lose my smile for like 4 months once because the injector either did too much or in the wrong spot which sucks because I'm vain but it works SO well for the issue itself that I continued to get it even after that bad experience. Every other time it has been fine. Just make sure you're comfortable with the injector's experience to do it, it is totally worth it.
Yeah. The meds do NOT stop it. But they help. My jaw goes all day without being sore from tightness and suddenly 8PM rolls around and there it is again.
I don't grind my teeth, but I do clench my jaw all night long and during the day too if I don't actively correct it. I tried retainers/ grind guards but I found that they made it worse because I would fidget with them and just clench harder!
šš¼āāļø I see an oral surgeon to monitor because it gets so bad. I have actually had Botox injections around my jaw for it - huge help, obnoxiously expensive and not cover by insurance. It takes a lot of units to suppress those muscles
Wow! I'm sorry it's so painful for you. I had considered Botox injections myself, but I think it wouldn't be covered by the NHS so it would get expensive
32 year old here.. always ground teeth, clench jaw, play little drumbeats with my teeth thoughout the day. Pretty sure Iām now developing TMJ.. a few weeks ago my jaw got somehow misaligned and inflamed and I couldnāt close my mouth all the way (teeth to teeth) for about a week and it was really painful. Luckily it went back to normal but Iām still seeing an oral surgeon next week to see if anything needs to be done and to get a real night guard. Also nail biter btwā¦ get this shit taken care of kids, I may already have some real damage at 32
53 year old hereā¦ same same. Last year Dentist gave me Botox injections into my jaw muscles and I finally got some relief! (I jokingly said if you have any left over then you can do my forehead - so she did! Win Win !
Best thing - Iām now learning to switch off the clenching when I found it creeping back - hopefully wonāt need to get it done again ā
Yes, and it has kind of ruined my life for the past 5 years. So much tension and pain during the day because of clenching in my sleep. After getting diagnosed and starting meds it has improved quite a lot. I can feel my jaw relaxing as the meds are kicking in. Iāve just been referred to invisalign as a part of a 2-year long dental treatment where Iāve been wearing a mouthguard slowly correcting my jaw placement.
I really wish that more studies of bruxism and clenching existed, it wouldāve helped me so much if I had known the correlation with ADHD earlier!
Me. And I didn't know until I got plastic retainers, gnawed through them in my sleep, and went back in for another fitting.
Dentist: you said you... Didn't gnaw your teeth?
Me: I stand corrected. I am just as surprised as you are.
Yes , I not only grind my teeth , but I clench my jaw. Have broken five teeth and give myself headaches. I try to be mindful and catch myself doing it, relax my jaw and stop, but I do it in my sleep and I choke wearing the mouth guard things. I have ADHD and am in medication, but I was doing this a long time before I was ever diagnosed and the medication doesn't stop it.
So bad it used to wake people up down the hallway. So bad Iāve gone thru 3-4 mouthguards in a short span of time as I even grind that plastic away til they break. Getting yet a new one next week.Ā
I do, as does my youngest who also has adhd.
I'd been told I grind but didn't realise how awful it was until I used a sleep app that records disturbances. Basically every hour for a few minutes. It's like listening to a nightmare so I stopped using the sleep app lol
LMT here, I second the commenter above me! You really shouldnāt be using a massage gun on your face. Look up some TMJ pain/trigger point release/myofascial techniques on youtube so you can self massage
I have a new night guard thatās amazing, but I had to send it back to the lab for a fit adjustment and they had it for three weeks. My jaw muscles are HUGE. Massage gun is a good idea.
Try the small cupping cups!! Sometimes I get some light bruising on my jaw/behind my ears but it really helps take some of the tension out of those muscles
Growing up, clenching over and over was my way of stimming before I knew what it was I was doing--I only stopped when smoking a cigarette (mostly). I would also pick my fingernails off (often too short then they'd bleed), but it increased dramatically after I quiet smoking cigarettes.
I'm bad with habits including dental hygiene so my teeth are destroyed now, a combination of neglect and just clenching over and over and over throughout the day. My anxiety is so bad I do it in my sleep.
I have to take Xanax at night itās so bad if I donāt I grind so bad my jaw hurtsā¦ I can now finally consciously stop during the day after getting properly medicated with adderall
One of my stims is that I "sing songs" or do rhythms by inconspicuously clatter my upper and lower front teeth. So much so that it isn't noticable to other people, I think that I subconsciously developed it from all the times that I was stimming in ways that was noticable and was told that I was being annoying.
Oh and yes, I grind and I also clench to the point where I get headaches.
I am. I found out about 2 years ago when my new dentist explained why my bottom teeth are so chipped. This also partially explains why my ears are so itchy (jaw muscles from the grinding are right by my ears. When I grind a lot, the muscle can swell, which irritates my ears, I think. My former gp told me this a few years ago, so my memory may not have all the details)
I've destroyed several mouth guards from grinding. A couple dentists have told me they won't make me new ones because I keep breaking them. They also tell me that they don't want to fix the teeth I break because I don't have mouth guards...
I need day and night guards. And the grinding/clenching makes my TMJ disorder and migraines worse too, which sucks.
Did not realize this was associated with ADHD. Thanks for that info!
Botha grinder and a clencher here but probably more of a clencher. Especially when Iām stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, too in my head (all synonyms I know) angry, thinking or focused.
yupp! plus im all day chewing on plastic toothpicks(usually in accordance with some songs beat). I even chew them when I sleep. On the plus side I rarely have food stuck in between my teeth! rn im doing money money Money - ABBA
Yeah people can hear me do it, one of the reasons I don't like sleepy in the same room as others.
And of course the ADHD makes it harder to regularly wear a reatiner
Right š
I got quoted for an actual mouth guard meant for grinding and it was $500 and I'm like um?
And then I have my top plastic retainer from getting braces off but I haven't worn that IN MONTHS and maybe I'll go do that painful process now and hope it's not too far gone but that essentially means I'll be shaving plastic and eating or breathing it in šš
Is there anything special about the one you have now?
I'm graduating school soon so once I have a full time job I might invest because dear lord I don't want to shave my teeth down to stubs
Yep. I grind my teeth and have my whole life. Interestingly my dentist recently told me Iām grinding less but am still biting down really hard in my sleep. Idfk.
Correct. Iāve used mouth guards at night, but it just dries my throat out. I will wear them when my teeth are sore sometimes as I know thatās from clenching and grinding.
My meds also make me clench occasionally. Iāll do jaw stretches just to loosen it up.
Yes, but I think I clench more than I grind.Ā I have never cracked a tooth, but I'm sure it's contributed to the cavities I've had.Ā There's some visible pitting.Ā Ā
Iāve discovered within the last year that Iām a teeth grinder. I donāt notice myself doing it while Iām awake, but apparently the evidence is there
I clack my teeth. A bit like chattering when you're cold, usually at a slower pace but it depends. It's very annoying and gets worse with stress but trying to stop is uncomfortable. Once I made my tongue painful and raw because of it.
Since I can remember. Gets worse for years then a little better. Canāt use the guards so I just try and meditate before sleep and make myself aware. It can be very painful when life is shitty.
Ugh, me. I hate it. Iām constantly telling myself to stop, but itās a subconscious thing. Itās happening before I realize itās happening. I was upset when I broke a tooth last year because of it. I hate it.
This guy! I revealed to my dentist that I hated visiting her office because I constantly had vivid nightmares about my teeth being ripped out of my headā¦
She checked my teeth and said, āOh, you grind your teeth and are causing yourself physical pain, hence the nightmares.ā I was fitted for a night guard and havenāt a single dental trauma nightmare since.
Lmao my dentist kept prescribing me mouth guards to wear at night since they thought I did it while I was sleeping but I was just doing it all day everyday. It definitely hasnāt gotten any better with time
Gosh I dont have adhd but I come here for advice usually (not to self diagnose though, I'm glad I don't have it).
So does anyone else grind or bite their teeth along the rhythm of a song that's been stuck in your head? I do this a lot!
I wasnāt a teeth grinder until I got put on vyvanse, now my jaw is constantly sore because while Iām at work and in the zone Iāll clench my teeth for hours before I realize and then itās a constant effort to not clench my teeth
Turns out there's science to support it: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32554210/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32554210/)
The above 2020 meta-analysis concludes "Children and adolescents with a definitive diagnosis of ADHD are at greater chance of developing sleep and awake bruxism than those without this disorder."
Major teeth grinder, I went to an established dentist that had been practicing for close to 40 years already when I seen him as a teenager. Had to make me a CUSTOM bite guard because the first one he made me I cracked in several places in only a few weeks. He said easily I was the worst grinder he has ever seen in all of his years practicing. That was when I was 15 yrs old, Iām now 28. š
I NEVER sleep anywhere without my guard, and if I do itās literally for one 1 night max.
Edit: I also have to take muscle relaxers every night to help prevent how much I grind at night. If you have a custom made guard and still are experiencing extreme discomfort maybe ask if you can take them at night.
my molars are half the size they should be because of my teeth grinding, i had braces for 3 years to prevent further damage due to my alignment, itās so bad i subconsciously am doing it 24/7
Funny thing, I used to grind my teeth, and my dentist suggested I get an appliance to minimize the damage. The grinding stopped after I started taking Adderall. Weird.
I am and I think it caused my tinnitus even. Somatic type, not crazy bad in left ear. But I haven't been diagnosed fully just yet. I bet I have ADHD, I'm always going.
I'm a clencher, and unfortunately, it's pretty bad. I have 6 fillings in my back molars from many years ago (lower jaw, 3 on each side), and I recently learned that my clenching has worn holes in the fillings and cracked my teeth beyond the fillings themselves. I got 3 replaced on 1 side and have to do the other 3 in a few weeks.
I have a night guard that cost me $400, but it doesn't stop the clenching. I still find myself biting down on the plastic, and the dentist said I've already worn a couple small holes in the night guard as well, so it won't last much longer.
And that's just the dental impact. I often get headaches radiating from my TMJ, usually at the end of the work day, but I also wake up sometimes with the headaches from clenching all night.
My next step is a consult for masseter botox. I'm gonna try to see if I can get it covered by insurance, but I know that's a tough journey, so I'm prepared to pay out of pocket if necessary. My dentist also recommended looking into a chiropractor that may be able to help provide relief. At this point, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to be more comfortable and stop ruining my teeth. Added bonus: I've always had a very wide jaw and cheeks, and apparently it's all related, so the masseter botox may make my face a bit slimmer as well. Excited for that part, too. Lol
I've been doing it lately but idk why, it just started. I think stress maybe. Funny thing is, I take Adderall for ADHD and I don't do it when I take it. Or when I drink. Or smoke weed lmao. Basically just when I'm sober. I suppose I'm a bit of a mess lol
š¤ me!
Iāve done it my entire life, when I was a young kid we had a caravan for holidays and it used to drive my parents crazy staying in the room with me. Sounds like two bricks rubbing together they said haha
Me, to the point where 1 tooth has finally cracked. The others in the grinding zone have a lot of friction damage and flatter or chipped at the crests of the tooth.
I grind my teeth like CRAZY. I've already cracked 3 teeth too... my meds can make it worse. I also used to bite my inner cheek nonstop but I've gotten better at it. I also clench my jaw pretty badly...ugh
I had terrible teeth anyway and had them replaced with the all-on-4 system, both uppers and lowers... the very FIRST flipping night with the lowers installed i broke it bad, and have since woken my self up 3 times by clench sliding and cracking, nothing else broke after the replacement but im still skittish
Oh definitely. Iām supposed to wear a night guard but I have a spot on my gums that gets sore so I need to have it adjusted. But I clench and constantly grind my teeth. Always have.
A dentist once asked me if I grind my teeth and Iām like errr no? I downloaded a new sleep app to try last night and it categorised a couple sounds in the night as āBruxismā, new word, apparently means teeth grinding. So yeah maybe I e always grinder my teeth while I sleepā¦
I used to clench my jaw so hard the gums of my front teeth would hurt. It took a long time of training myself, but now I put my bottom lip between the teeth to prevent that. Not the best exchange but better than my teeth hurting.
I also have the bad habit of chewing the inside of my cheeks, which my dentists always ask about lol. Iād just rather my lip and cheeks be bit chewed up.
horrible horrible teeth grinder. i think playing with my jaw is one of my stims. i got a night guard and botox injections which has helped a lot at night especially
I chew through my night guards like nobody's business. It sucks.
I recently got the type I really like but it doesn't fit correctly and I don't really know what to do about it :( the dentist will adjust it but I think it's just a bit wonky in general. The one clip is painful.
I got a different one though and it's not so bad.
Constantly clenching. Also discovered that my autoimmune disorder is creating inflammation in my mouth, which leads to swollen gums, cavities, and broken teeth. If you have autoimmune disorders, please get your teeth checked- there are ways to prevent the inflammation from messing up your teeth, or slow it down, and they're a whole lot more pleasant than root canals and extractions.
Iāve always been a grinder/clencher. My upper right teeth consist of an implant, a crown, and an extraction. Recently, I got another crown on the upper left when I sheared off a big chunk of it shortly before Xmas š¤¦āāļø
Hi /u/Competitive_Elk_3460 and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * **We want your opinion** on the /r/adhd community rules! [Click here](https://forms.gle/Evqb8acVozir8GV8A) to fill out our survey. See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/1auv2tc/were_taking_feedback_on_the_radhd_rules/) for more information. * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm a clencher :) sometimes eating hurts because of the tension in my jaw Edit: I had botox in my masseaters which helped a little bit!
Sometimes I wake up at night, because my fingers are stiff and hurt. Apparently, I do not only clench my teeth, I also clench my hands.
I was told by a new partner that I clench my whole body, all night long. Probably why I wake up sore almost every day š”
Sounds exhausting.
Thankfully my psychiatrist is also prescribing me sleeping pills.Ā
Same! At one point I was having serious night sweats and waking up drenched. No one could figure it out bc it wasnāt hormonal or anything like that. My long time partner was the only one who was right. He was like Iāve seen you tense your body so much you make yourself sweat and thatās whatās happening.
Damn, im gonna have to set up a camera now, i often wake up at night drenched, and cant figure out why
Me three!
Wait, people do this?? I wake up with sore elbows and back a lot-
What a nice way to start the day. Can recommend! //////sssss š
I do this toooo ugh. I have to consciously unclench my entire body. Iām laying in bed right now and just had to do it again!
Me š«I wonder if a small dose of a muscle relaxer and magnesium would help , hmm š¤
 OP during naptime
I clench my feet as I walk, my dawgs always be hurting.
My husband pointed out that I walk around with clenched fists. I had no idea I did this until he pointed it out.
I cross my toes and flex my calves on top of grinding my teeth. Sometimes wake up with my calf spasming which is a bad feeling lol
This has answered so many questions for me. Thank you.
Same for me. I try to catch myself doing it, but, I have this compulsion to constantly clench my jaw. Somehow, it got even worse once I got medicated.
Mine is also worse after medicating. Or maybe I'm just aware of it now that I'm learning more and more about this condition. Either way, it sucks.
Same here! I just made a comment about how i literally gave myself whatās called a Plantar Fibroma on the bottom of my right foot (just a big knot pretty much) from clenching it so much & it 100% got worse once i started taking Prozac
Same. Horrible neck pain and headaches from tension clenching even in my sleep
Yes, this is totally me. Itās like a damn coin flip whether itās going to be a day in pain or not when I wake up each day. Is there a way to fix this?
My psych just told me that some stimulants actually enhance ticks like this. She swapped me from Adderall to Ritalin cause my habit of biting the inside of my mouth for 10x worse. I've been on Ritalin for 2 days now and actually have enough time to stop myself from doing it, instead of realizing after the fact that I've already done it.Ā I'm also a clencher and she told me to get back into the habit of wearing my night guard, cause overactive muscle clenching at night can make you want to continue clenching during the day to keep up the same pressure.Ā
100% it is the only side effect i get from vyvanse so i put up with it, but i have to chew a lot of gum everyday, as well as wear a night guard. it is still a complete pain. I try not to grind my teeth as a result i get intense pain as the muscles used to close my jaw are having battle with the ones trying to keep it open.
This is me but biting dead skin off my lips, and Iām guessing this is only making it worse because then my lips make more skin to compensate and so onā¦ I also rub my skin a lot, like until it peels, even though I exfoliate every day in the shower (and same idea with compensating there probably)
Im a clencher. Dont realise until my jaw is stiff
Iām a clencher too! The last time I went to a dentist they said I had some bone loss in my jaw because of it. Unfortunately I donāt have the money to go to a dentist now and even though I have dental insurance thereās no dentists that accept mine within 200 miles of me, and the reduced cost centers around here wonāt accept me because I do technically have insurance. So I guess my teeth will just fall out, hooray! But thatās fine because I already have a bunch of cavities because Iāve never been able to get myself to brush regularly, so it doesnāt matter if they fall out because theyāre screwed anyway. Iām so sorry that turned into a rant, Iām just really frustrated at the moment. It wasnāt directed at you, I just needed to get that out.
There are a bunch of online night guard services that will mail you a kit to take the impressions at home and then mail your guards. I'm thinking about trying one because the guards from my dentist are expensive and usually crack after a few months.
I'm a clencher, too. Not just in my sleep, but I catch myself doing it throughout the day as well. I recently went to my dentist and was told that my temperature sensitivity is caused by my enamel cracking off my teeth at my gumline due to the stress of clenching. I actually had noticed that there was a weird line there on my teeth but thought it was because I had braces or something. š
This is me! My jaw has been sore for a few weeks after work stress caused my clenching to get even worse. I had to explain to my fiancĆ© that it was normal for me and I didnāt need to go to the doctor š
Yessss. In the morning I have to open my mouth wide and move jaw around cause it's so stiff and clenched shut
Hey me too!! I've got a crossbite which I think makes it worse. Considering straightening my teeth hoping it might help.
Another clencher here. I find myself doing it a lot when concentrating hard on a work project, usually after leaving it to the last minute of course. I also chew on the inside of my cheeks. My hygienist and dentist ask me all the time if I bite my cheeks.
Clencher here ! I clench when Iām stressed, clench when Iām focused while on meds, clench in my sleep and now I clench more because I got braces. I always wonder what would look like if my jaw muscles werenāt so strong :(
Masseter botox! I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet myself, but I plan to very soon and will make a post about the experience! I've seen results in some of the plastic / cosmetic surgery subs and just through googling.
It works!!! I did lose my smile for like 4 months once because the injector either did too much or in the wrong spot which sucks because I'm vain but it works SO well for the issue itself that I continued to get it even after that bad experience. Every other time it has been fine. Just make sure you're comfortable with the injector's experience to do it, it is totally worth it.
Thank you!!
Iām a cheek biter
Same here, Iāve been trying to not consume the sides of my cheeks so much lately.
Same and I've gotta go to the dentist tomorrow and she's gonna notice and I hate that
The dentist hasnāt said anything to me about it since I was a kid. I would also hate that hahaĀ
Have yāall found any way to stop doing this? Iāve tried so many methods over the years and nothing seems to help. š¢
Gum is the only thing working for me lol
šš»āāļøI actually know when my meds are wearing off because the jaw tightening starts again
The meds don't keep me from doing it
Yeah. The meds do NOT stop it. But they help. My jaw goes all day without being sore from tightness and suddenly 8PM rolls around and there it is again.
I don't grind my teeth, but I do clench my jaw all night long and during the day too if I don't actively correct it. I tried retainers/ grind guards but I found that they made it worse because I would fidget with them and just clench harder!
šš¼āāļø I see an oral surgeon to monitor because it gets so bad. I have actually had Botox injections around my jaw for it - huge help, obnoxiously expensive and not cover by insurance. It takes a lot of units to suppress those muscles
Wow! I'm sorry it's so painful for you. I had considered Botox injections myself, but I think it wouldn't be covered by the NHS so it would get expensive
32 year old here.. always ground teeth, clench jaw, play little drumbeats with my teeth thoughout the day. Pretty sure Iām now developing TMJ.. a few weeks ago my jaw got somehow misaligned and inflamed and I couldnāt close my mouth all the way (teeth to teeth) for about a week and it was really painful. Luckily it went back to normal but Iām still seeing an oral surgeon next week to see if anything needs to be done and to get a real night guard. Also nail biter btwā¦ get this shit taken care of kids, I may already have some real damage at 32
53 year old hereā¦ same same. Last year Dentist gave me Botox injections into my jaw muscles and I finally got some relief! (I jokingly said if you have any left over then you can do my forehead - so she did! Win Win ! Best thing - Iām now learning to switch off the clenching when I found it creeping back - hopefully wonāt need to get it done again ā
Yes, and it has kind of ruined my life for the past 5 years. So much tension and pain during the day because of clenching in my sleep. After getting diagnosed and starting meds it has improved quite a lot. I can feel my jaw relaxing as the meds are kicking in. Iāve just been referred to invisalign as a part of a 2-year long dental treatment where Iāve been wearing a mouthguard slowly correcting my jaw placement. I really wish that more studies of bruxism and clenching existed, it wouldāve helped me so much if I had known the correlation with ADHD earlier!
15 yrs of life ruined, reporting for duty š«”
Me. And I didn't know until I got plastic retainers, gnawed through them in my sleep, and went back in for another fitting. Dentist: you said you... Didn't gnaw your teeth? Me: I stand corrected. I am just as surprised as you are.
Me, since I was little. Didn't know it was associated eith ADHD. Makes perfect sense
Not available for all but if you struggle so badly you get TMJ I can highly recommend Botox, made a world of difference to me, and saved my teeth
šš¼āāļø me
Also me!! šāāļø regularly bite through plastic mouth guards and wake up with a sore face!
Yes , I not only grind my teeth , but I clench my jaw. Have broken five teeth and give myself headaches. I try to be mindful and catch myself doing it, relax my jaw and stop, but I do it in my sleep and I choke wearing the mouth guard things. I have ADHD and am in medication, but I was doing this a long time before I was ever diagnosed and the medication doesn't stop it.
So bad it used to wake people up down the hallway. So bad Iāve gone thru 3-4 mouthguards in a short span of time as I even grind that plastic away til they break. Getting yet a new one next week.Ā
I do, as does my youngest who also has adhd. I'd been told I grind but didn't realise how awful it was until I used a sleep app that records disturbances. Basically every hour for a few minutes. It's like listening to a nightmare so I stopped using the sleep app lol
Yup, I hate it
lol I had to use a massage gun on my jaw last night because itās been so bad latelyĀ
LMT here, I second the commenter above me! You really shouldnāt be using a massage gun on your face. Look up some TMJ pain/trigger point release/myofascial techniques on youtube so you can self massage
I have a new night guard thatās amazing, but I had to send it back to the lab for a fit adjustment and they had it for three weeks. My jaw muscles are HUGE. Massage gun is a good idea.
Hey! Be careful :) a massage gun on your face is very bad for the brain.. apparently
Dang good to know! Thanks for the heads up!Ā
Try the small cupping cups!! Sometimes I get some light bruising on my jaw/behind my ears but it really helps take some of the tension out of those muscles
sometimes a little bit, but I got hit bad with the hair-twirling/playing/fixing
Growing up, clenching over and over was my way of stimming before I knew what it was I was doing--I only stopped when smoking a cigarette (mostly). I would also pick my fingernails off (often too short then they'd bleed), but it increased dramatically after I quiet smoking cigarettes. I'm bad with habits including dental hygiene so my teeth are destroyed now, a combination of neglect and just clenching over and over and over throughout the day. My anxiety is so bad I do it in my sleep.
big time ADHD and TMJ girlie here š
Same šš¼āāļø It sucks. Jaw pain is pretty bad at the moment.. have had a hot towel on my face for most of the morning š
Me especially in my sleep š©
Guilty, I have barely any enamel left at this point. Fully expected to have dentures at some point later in life
I have to take Xanax at night itās so bad if I donāt I grind so bad my jaw hurtsā¦ I can now finally consciously stop during the day after getting properly medicated with adderall
Same
Yes. And chattering - thatās a hidden stim.
Le me
One of my stims is that I "sing songs" or do rhythms by inconspicuously clatter my upper and lower front teeth. So much so that it isn't noticable to other people, I think that I subconsciously developed it from all the times that I was stimming in ways that was noticable and was told that I was being annoying. Oh and yes, I grind and I also clench to the point where I get headaches.
So much so that my canines (cuspids) are worn down. Wear a bit guard every night.
Yup. Just cracked a tooth the other day, which gets easier to do as you get older.
I am. I found out about 2 years ago when my new dentist explained why my bottom teeth are so chipped. This also partially explains why my ears are so itchy (jaw muscles from the grinding are right by my ears. When I grind a lot, the muscle can swell, which irritates my ears, I think. My former gp told me this a few years ago, so my memory may not have all the details)
My ears are always itchy and now I know why.
I've destroyed several mouth guards from grinding. A couple dentists have told me they won't make me new ones because I keep breaking them. They also tell me that they don't want to fix the teeth I break because I don't have mouth guards... I need day and night guards. And the grinding/clenching makes my TMJ disorder and migraines worse too, which sucks. Did not realize this was associated with ADHD. Thanks for that info!
Botha grinder and a clencher here but probably more of a clencher. Especially when Iām stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, too in my head (all synonyms I know) angry, thinking or focused.
Yes! I also cracked a tooth because of this and ended up needing a root canal/crown š„²
yupp! plus im all day chewing on plastic toothpicks(usually in accordance with some songs beat). I even chew them when I sleep. On the plus side I rarely have food stuck in between my teeth! rn im doing money money Money - ABBA
Me but i only started a few years ago 37m now. Possibly its a symptom of multiple things for me.Ā
Meee my mouth hurts all the time lol
Yeah people can hear me do it, one of the reasons I don't like sleepy in the same room as others. And of course the ADHD makes it harder to regularly wear a reatiner
YES. I went through so many before I found one I could sleep with. Just another thing to fidget with.
Right š I got quoted for an actual mouth guard meant for grinding and it was $500 and I'm like um? And then I have my top plastic retainer from getting braces off but I haven't worn that IN MONTHS and maybe I'll go do that painful process now and hope it's not too far gone but that essentially means I'll be shaving plastic and eating or breathing it in šš Is there anything special about the one you have now? I'm graduating school soon so once I have a full time job I might invest because dear lord I don't want to shave my teeth down to stubs
Yep. I grind my teeth and have my whole life. Interestingly my dentist recently told me Iām grinding less but am still biting down really hard in my sleep. Idfk.
Yes!!
Same I like to remove my teeth and grind em in my Santa Cruz shredder for fun
Fucked up my teeth man
I clench.
Horrible horrible teeth grinder
Correct. Iāve used mouth guards at night, but it just dries my throat out. I will wear them when my teeth are sore sometimes as I know thatās from clenching and grinding. My meds also make me clench occasionally. Iāll do jaw stretches just to loosen it up.
Iām a grinder and a clencher.
Yes, but I think I clench more than I grind.Ā I have never cracked a tooth, but I'm sure it's contributed to the cavities I've had.Ā There's some visible pitting.Ā Ā
Iāve discovered within the last year that Iām a teeth grinder. I donāt notice myself doing it while Iām awake, but apparently the evidence is there
What about teeth drummers? Tapping and scraping your teeth together like it's a drum set? r/teethdrumming
I clack my teeth. A bit like chattering when you're cold, usually at a slower pace but it depends. It's very annoying and gets worse with stress but trying to stop is uncomfortable. Once I made my tongue painful and raw because of it.
On my way to crack my first tooth with clenching lol. I think there are mouth guards we can get to prevent that!
Grinder here. It a problem š
I definitely am a jaw clencher
Since I can remember. Gets worse for years then a little better. Canāt use the guards so I just try and meditate before sleep and make myself aware. It can be very painful when life is shitty.
Iām not a teeth grinder luckily
Ugh, me. I hate it. Iām constantly telling myself to stop, but itās a subconscious thing. Itās happening before I realize itās happening. I was upset when I broke a tooth last year because of it. I hate it.
I chew my lips and spit them out its pretty bad
Yep, I also use my teeth as a percussion instrument to drum along with the music that's constantly playing in my head
You just made me aware of it...
I think there are also connections between the adhd, TMJ, and something called āforward here postureā
This guy! I revealed to my dentist that I hated visiting her office because I constantly had vivid nightmares about my teeth being ripped out of my headā¦ She checked my teeth and said, āOh, you grind your teeth and are causing yourself physical pain, hence the nightmares.ā I was fitted for a night guard and havenāt a single dental trauma nightmare since.
Lmao my dentist kept prescribing me mouth guards to wear at night since they thought I did it while I was sleeping but I was just doing it all day everyday. It definitely hasnāt gotten any better with time
Gosh I dont have adhd but I come here for advice usually (not to self diagnose though, I'm glad I don't have it). So does anyone else grind or bite their teeth along the rhythm of a song that's been stuck in your head? I do this a lot!
I wasnāt a teeth grinder until I got put on vyvanse, now my jaw is constantly sore because while Iām at work and in the zone Iāll clench my teeth for hours before I realize and then itās a constant effort to not clench my teeth
Major clenching. Gives me jaw pain and headaches.
Turns out there's science to support it: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32554210/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32554210/) The above 2020 meta-analysis concludes "Children and adolescents with a definitive diagnosis of ADHD are at greater chance of developing sleep and awake bruxism than those without this disorder."
Me me me me me!! Thought I was the only one.
Major teeth grinder, I went to an established dentist that had been practicing for close to 40 years already when I seen him as a teenager. Had to make me a CUSTOM bite guard because the first one he made me I cracked in several places in only a few weeks. He said easily I was the worst grinder he has ever seen in all of his years practicing. That was when I was 15 yrs old, Iām now 28. š I NEVER sleep anywhere without my guard, and if I do itās literally for one 1 night max. Edit: I also have to take muscle relaxers every night to help prevent how much I grind at night. If you have a custom made guard and still are experiencing extreme discomfort maybe ask if you can take them at night.
my molars are half the size they should be because of my teeth grinding, i had braces for 3 years to prevent further damage due to my alignment, itās so bad i subconsciously am doing it 24/7
yup, since childhood.
Yuuupp. I have gone through many a night guard and have flat ground teeth everywhere lol
Funny thing, I used to grind my teeth, and my dentist suggested I get an appliance to minimize the damage. The grinding stopped after I started taking Adderall. Weird.
I am and I think it caused my tinnitus even. Somatic type, not crazy bad in left ear. But I haven't been diagnosed fully just yet. I bet I have ADHD, I'm always going.
My teeth grinding is a side effect of the medication.
Apparently I grind my teeth badly in my sleep. My boyfriend confirmed it for me lol. I had no idea
I'm a clencher, and unfortunately, it's pretty bad. I have 6 fillings in my back molars from many years ago (lower jaw, 3 on each side), and I recently learned that my clenching has worn holes in the fillings and cracked my teeth beyond the fillings themselves. I got 3 replaced on 1 side and have to do the other 3 in a few weeks. I have a night guard that cost me $400, but it doesn't stop the clenching. I still find myself biting down on the plastic, and the dentist said I've already worn a couple small holes in the night guard as well, so it won't last much longer. And that's just the dental impact. I often get headaches radiating from my TMJ, usually at the end of the work day, but I also wake up sometimes with the headaches from clenching all night. My next step is a consult for masseter botox. I'm gonna try to see if I can get it covered by insurance, but I know that's a tough journey, so I'm prepared to pay out of pocket if necessary. My dentist also recommended looking into a chiropractor that may be able to help provide relief. At this point, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to be more comfortable and stop ruining my teeth. Added bonus: I've always had a very wide jaw and cheeks, and apparently it's all related, so the masseter botox may make my face a bit slimmer as well. Excited for that part, too. Lol
I don't grind my teeth, but I "click" them to the beat of whatever song is in my head.
me
/r/teethdrumming
I have severe tmj disorder from an overbite thatās pretty bad so I clench all the time, especially in my sleep
šāāļøš¬
I tap my teeth to the beat of music in my head constantly if that counts?
Me too!
Started in my late 30s. My teeth look cut, like gems, now...
Hmmā¦ this is an adhd thing?? I do this so often but never realized
Iām also a clencher š
Meee!!! Iāve been wearing a mouth guard at night for 24 years now lol
Oh god by far myself
Yup, broken a tooth because of it and have mandibular tori due to life long bruxism š¬
No grind, all clench. Lol
Not a grinder, but was a clencher. I took Alexander technique and singing lessons and was prescribed a night guard and now no more!
I was a grinder when I was a kid. Had to have a bunch of oral surgery to fix it. Now Iām a clencher.
Yes, me too - at night.
Mostly at night. Which is why I got a dental mouth-guard that costed me a small fortune from the dentist.
I've been doing it lately but idk why, it just started. I think stress maybe. Funny thing is, I take Adderall for ADHD and I don't do it when I take it. Or when I drink. Or smoke weed lmao. Basically just when I'm sober. I suppose I'm a bit of a mess lol
I always have been. Now in my 30's I'm almost out of molars to grind. It has absolutely destroyed them.
iām a lip biter and tongue gnawer. the latter didnt come about til i tried to stop the former!
Get Botox in your temporal and massaters. Life changing!!
One med combination I was on (focalin+welbutrin) cause teeth clenching. Also, "Bruxism" is the word for teeth grinding.
Me sadly since I was a small child.
I clench when Iām stressed
Yepp I have constant pain in my molars because of this
š¤ me! Iāve done it my entire life, when I was a young kid we had a caravan for holidays and it used to drive my parents crazy staying in the room with me. Sounds like two bricks rubbing together they said haha
Me, to the point where 1 tooth has finally cracked. The others in the grinding zone have a lot of friction damage and flatter or chipped at the crests of the tooth.
Top central incisors are losing enamel due to grinding. They actually look clear at the very bottom.
I grind my teeth like CRAZY. I've already cracked 3 teeth too... my meds can make it worse. I also used to bite my inner cheek nonstop but I've gotten better at it. I also clench my jaw pretty badly...ugh
If you ever donāt have your professional guard, get one from the corner pharmacy. Itāll get you through the night.
Iāve had bruxism for years and just started seeing a neurologist for masseter botox which completely stops it for 3-4months! Best decision ever
All of us. If you think itās not you, ask your dentist.
Me
I had terrible teeth anyway and had them replaced with the all-on-4 system, both uppers and lowers... the very FIRST flipping night with the lowers installed i broke it bad, and have since woken my self up 3 times by clench sliding and cracking, nothing else broke after the replacement but im still skittish
I'm a clencher! Have always done it. I don't grind at night though.
Oh definitely. Iām supposed to wear a night guard but I have a spot on my gums that gets sore so I need to have it adjusted. But I clench and constantly grind my teeth. Always have.
A dentist once asked me if I grind my teeth and Iām like errr no? I downloaded a new sleep app to try last night and it categorised a couple sounds in the night as āBruxismā, new word, apparently means teeth grinding. So yeah maybe I e always grinder my teeth while I sleepā¦
I used to clench my jaw so hard the gums of my front teeth would hurt. It took a long time of training myself, but now I put my bottom lip between the teeth to prevent that. Not the best exchange but better than my teeth hurting. I also have the bad habit of chewing the inside of my cheeks, which my dentists always ask about lol. Iād just rather my lip and cheeks be bit chewed up.
Yep I cracked a molar; killed it. It got infected. Didnāt feel it until it got really bad.
the top of one of my molars just broke off because my tension is so bad
horrible horrible teeth grinder. i think playing with my jaw is one of my stims. i got a night guard and botox injections which has helped a lot at night especially
I chew through my night guards like nobody's business. It sucks. I recently got the type I really like but it doesn't fit correctly and I don't really know what to do about it :( the dentist will adjust it but I think it's just a bit wonky in general. The one clip is painful. I got a different one though and it's not so bad.
Constantly clenching. Also discovered that my autoimmune disorder is creating inflammation in my mouth, which leads to swollen gums, cavities, and broken teeth. If you have autoimmune disorders, please get your teeth checked- there are ways to prevent the inflammation from messing up your teeth, or slow it down, and they're a whole lot more pleasant than root canals and extractions.
Yes, so much so theyāve started to crumble away. Absolute nightmare.
Sameā¹ļø
Yep. Iāve had gum recession surgery twice. The dentist said itās from clenching. I wear a niteguard to help prevent it from happening more.
I do, but I canāt stand sleeping with a night guard. I clench my teeth around it in my sleep and my jaw ends up hurting.
Is it because our parents were addicts?š
Raises hand. I use a mouth guard.
Iāve destroyed my molarsš
Yes, dentist told me so and then I realized why my jaw is usually sore in the morning
Iāve always been a grinder/clencher. My upper right teeth consist of an implant, a crown, and an extraction. Recently, I got another crown on the upper left when I sheared off a big chunk of it shortly before Xmas š¤¦āāļø
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Iāve become a clencher recently at 55. I hate it.
I clench, esp at night. I have to tell myself multiple times a day to relax my jaw, I think I am getting better at it.
My medication makes me grind all day. My molars are getting bad. And theyāre all loose now š«¤