Q:

I bit my tongue again last night. I think that I subconsciously grind my teeth because I have sensitive teeth that my dentist last told me did not have cavities. He also mentioned that it might be me grinding my teeth in my sleep. So I consciously try not to, and sometimes that involves me putting my tongue just a little between my teeth because my jaw gets tired when I try to hold my teeth apart. I think that this only started after I got a crown on a broken tooth and then had to adjust to the change in size of my tooth.. The dentist whittled it down and it felt better, but my mouth never felt the same. Is there something I can do that would be simpler, less painful, and less paranoid than constantly watching the position of my teeth? And is it really that likely that grinding my teeth causes tooth sensitivity like this? Just yesterday it felt the deepest down I'd ever felt it, like a dull throbbing bone pain, from eating a semi-cold strawberry. I don't eat candy anymore, because that hurts just like a cavity that my dentist said I didn't have. On both sides of my mouth! =(

Thanks a lot, doc!

 

A:

I'm surprised your dentist is not recommending a custom made night guard for your teeth that is a clear plastic form that fits over your teeth so you are unable to bite down or clench your teeth in your sleep. There is no other way to prevent tooth grinding when you are asleep.

If you are not finding that your bite is normal after a crown is placed, then the crown is ill-fitting and needs adjustment. That also can aggravate your symptoms. A second opinion from another dentist may be in order if you are not able to get things better.

~The Doc