Retainers forever, apparently...
That part hit me—my kid’s ortho said the same thing, and I honestly thought he was exaggerating. I guess I just never realized how much stress can mess with your mouth until my daughter started grinding her teeth at night during a rough patch at school. We ended up getting her a night guard, but it didn’t even occur to me that adults go through the same thing. Now I’m half-wondering if my own headaches are jaw-related.
Chewing gum for “therapy” made me laugh a little—my daughter does that too, but her ortho warned us that too much chewing can actually make the soreness worse sometimes? Maybe it’s different for grown-ups, though. She mostly sticks to warm compresses and those microwavable neck wraps (which she insists on using even when it’s 90 degrees out).
I do wish more people were upfront about how much of this is tied to anxiety and daily stress. The focus is always on brushing and flossing, but nobody really talks about clenching or jaw pain or how being tense all day can undo months of progress. Her ortho keeps saying “retainers are for life,” but it feels like managing stress should be part of the routine too.
Has anyone else found something that helps with tension besides the usual stuff? Meditation apps never really clicked for us—I’d love to hear if there are other tricks that work for adults or kids.