"Didn't even realize how much stress was affecting my teeth until then..."
Yeah, stress can really sneak up on you like that. I noticed something similar when I started using aligners—my jaw used to feel sore almost every morning, and I just thought it was normal. But after a few weeks of treatment, that constant dull ache faded away. Turns out, I'd been clenching my teeth in my sleep without even realizing it. Crazy how interconnected stress and dental issues can be... Glad you're feeling better now too!
Interesting, I never really thought about stress affecting teeth alignment or jaw pain. I always assumed my morning headaches were just from getting older or maybe needing a new pillow. Now I'm wondering if I've been clenching my teeth at night too without realizing it. Did you notice any other symptoms besides jaw soreness, like headaches or earaches? Curious if aligners alone helped ease the stress-related clenching or if you had to try other methods as well. Seems like there's more to this than just straightening teeth...
"I always assumed my morning headaches were just from getting older or maybe needing a new pillow."
Funny you mention that—I went through something similar. I kept blaming my pillow too, even bought a fancy memory foam one, but the headaches stuck around. Turns out I was clenching my jaw at night without realizing it. Aligners definitely helped with alignment, but I found adding a night guard was key to reducing the clenching itself. Might be worth looking into if you're noticing headaches or earaches regularly...
"Aligners definitely helped with alignment, but I found adding a night guard was key to reducing the clenching itself."
Good call on the night guard—I see this all the time. Did you notice any difference in jaw tension during the day too, or mostly just mornings? Curious if daytime headaches improved at all...
Did you notice any difference in jaw tension during the day too, or mostly just mornings? Curious if daytime headaches improved at all...
Glad you mentioned the night guard—I just got mine and was a bit anxious about it. Good to hear it's helping with your clenching. Hoping it'll ease my jaw tension too... fingers crossed!
