"Felt ridiculous explaining that one to my dentist, lol."
Haha, I totally feel you on that. I once chipped a tooth biting into a soft sandwich—yeah, bread of all things. Dentist just raised an eyebrow at me like "really?" 😂 Anyway, you're spot-on about stress management. I used to grind my teeth pretty badly and ignored it for way too long...ended up with headaches and jaw pain almost daily. Finally gave in and got the night guard, which felt like sleeping with a hockey puck at first. But honestly, after a couple weeks, I barely noticed it anymore.
Also, totally agree on finding something relaxing before bed. For me, it's audiobooks—something about a calm voice telling a story just knocks me right out. Glad you're doing better now too. It's funny how these little changes can make such a big difference, isn't it?
Haha, bread is sneaky like that... I cracked a filling once on a gummy bear, dentist gave me the whole "candy lecture" even though I swear it was just one gummy. Night guards do help though, even if they're kinda weird at first. Glad you're feeling better now!
Yeah, dentists can be pretty intense about candy...had a similar lecture myself once, felt like I was back in school getting scolded, lol. Night guards definitely feel weird at first, but honestly, after a while you barely notice. Glad you're adjusting okay—teeth stuff always makes me anxious, so good on you for tackling it head-on.
Honestly, I was super anxious about the whole night guard thing too—like, what if I choke on it or something? 😂 But you're right, after about a week or so it just becomes second nature. My dentist explained how ignoring grinding can actually wear down your teeth enamel step-by-step, which kinda freaked me out. So even though it's annoying at first, it's worth sticking with it. Glad you're getting used to it!
I totally get the anxiety about choking on the night guard—I had the exact same worry when I first got mine. The first few nights, I barely slept because I kept waking up to check if it was still in place or if I'd swallowed it somehow (ridiculous, I know 😂). But like you said, after a week or two, it just became part of my nightly routine.
My dentist also explained how grinding can cause tiny cracks and chips in your teeth over time, which can lead to sensitivity and even bigger dental issues down the road. Honestly, that freaked me out enough to stick with it. But even knowing all that, I still found myself wondering if there were other options besides the night guard—like maybe addressing the root cause of grinding itself?
I ended up seeing another dentist for a second opinion, and she mentioned stress management techniques and even physical therapy exercises for jaw tension. She said sometimes grinding is linked to stress or muscle tightness in your jaw and neck. I've been trying some relaxation exercises before bed, and while I still use my night guard religiously (better safe than sorry), I've noticed I'm waking up feeling less tense overall.
Anyway, glad you're adjusting well! It's definitely worth sticking with it, but if you're still feeling uneasy or uncomfortable after a while, maybe exploring some complementary approaches could help too.
