If logging helps you feel a bit more in control, that’s a win in my book.
Couldn’t agree more. I started tracking my jaw stuff after my bite shifted out of nowhere, and honestly, it’s helped me spot patterns I’d have missed otherwise. There’s so much going on with proprioception—sometimes I wonder if my jaw is actually off or if my brain’s just playing tricks. Either way, being detail-oriented isn’t a bad thing. You’re just taking care of yourself, and that matters.
sometimes I wonder if my jaw is actually off or if my brain’s just playing tricks.
Totally get this. My jaw feels like it has a mind of its own some days—one minute it’s fine, next I’m convinced it’s shifted a mile to the left.
- Logging’s helped me realize coffee makes my jaw clench more (rude).
- Stress = instant jaw weirdness for me.
- Sometimes I think I’m hyper-focusing and making it worse... but then again, better safe than sorry, right?
Being detail-oriented just means you’re paying attention, not overdoing it.
I totally relate to the hyper-focusing thing—sometimes I’ll catch myself clenching and then can’t stop thinking about it for hours. Did you ever get checked by a dentist or jaw specialist, or just rely on self-monitoring? I keep debating if I’m just overanalyzing or if something’s actually off.
I get where you’re coming from with the overanalyzing—seriously, I used to think my kid was just being dramatic about her jaw until it got to the point where she stopped eating crunchy stuff altogether. At first, I tried to just keep an eye on it, thinking she’d grow out of it or maybe it was just a phase. But honestly, self-monitoring only got us so far. We ended up seeing a jaw specialist after her dentist noticed some wear on her molars. Turned out she was clenching way more than we realized, even in her sleep.
I guess what I’m saying is, sometimes it’s not just in your head, even if it feels like you’re obsessing. The specialist gave us some exercises and a night guard, which helped a ton. I get not wanting to make a big deal out of it, but for us, getting checked out was worth it, if only for peace of mind. It’s wild how much jaw stuff can sneak up on you.
Totally get this—jaw stuff is sneaky. I’ve seen folks come in thinking it’s just a weird clicking or maybe some stress, and then it turns out they’ve been grinding away at night for who knows how long. Funny enough, one patient swore it was just because she’d started eating more popcorn during movie nights... but nope, it was clenching. The night guard made a world of difference for her too. It’s wild how much relief you can get from something so simple, but yeah, sometimes you really do need a pro to spot what’s going on.
