The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Hot Yoga *faq* › Worn teeth?
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When I was at my dentist for a regular checkup, I was asked (again) if I had a habit of grinding my teeth — wear seems to be a problem. The suggestion was that I should have an expensive custom-made mouth guard made for wearing at night to prevent grinding of my teeth.
I don’t believe that I grind my teeth during sleep, but I’m thinking that I clench my teeth together during some yoga postures, and that might be a problem. I try to relax my jaw and not hold any stress during my yoga practice, but that’s difficult for me in some poses. To be fair, I believe that I clench my teeth together when I’m using hand and power tools, which I do frequently.
As an experiment, I’ve purchased an inexpensive mouth guard at a sports shop, and I am starting to bite on it when operating tools and when doing the Bikram practice, to see if it helps me to be conscious of my clenching of teeth — perhaps it will encourage me to relax my jaw, and, if not, perhaps it will lessen the wear on my teeth.
Many of the people on this forum practice hot yoga regularly, for a total of more than 10 hours a week — perhaps that’s enough time to cause tooth wear. I’m hoping that there’s someone here who can tell me whether they’ve tried practicing with a tooth guard to avoid wear on the teeth or to avoid other dental problems.
Namaste,
JohnHi John
Your dentist asked you that question for a very good reason. Most people grind their teeth to some degree at some stage. Either awake or asleep. It’s whether it is causing harm or excessive wear or whether it is stress-induced (and I won’t touch on all of the conditions here) that may have one feeling the effects.
If your dentist thinks you grind your teeth then you probably do. We’ll get to the mouth guard soon.
You may not believe you grind your teeth at night but how can you tell? You are asleep! 😉 I could ask you if you ever feel any signs of the grinding or clenching (say pain, discomfort in the teeth, the temporomandibular joints, the masticatory muscles which are obviously around the jaws and also the sides of the face up into the skull area proper).
Often the effects of bruxing at night are not felt but with any 2 surfaces gliding over each other there is going to be some wear.
If you’re aware of clenching in your yoga poses it is definitely possible that you are overdoing something. What that something is I don’t know and perhaps you don’t know yet either. It may be worth checking in to see when exactly you are clenching. Check into see what your body is doing. Then if you can feel that there is some source of strain or struggle in your body, or some need for you to improve a pose that is not serving you and that is causing you to strain, then fix that. It is possible there is some pushing beyond a point that is setting up stresses.
As I have always said, the only time your teeth should be touching is when you eat. They shouldn’t touch when you talk or do other activities. Sure, they could touch from time to time when you swallow or when you could be doing some kind of physical work. But for some their tongue just places pressure on the hard palate.
Just start making notes (mental or otherwise) on what you do.
Yoga should not be causing a clenching or grinding habit. Quite the opposite.
The dentist’s suggestion for that custom-made mouth guard is a good one. I call them ‘occlusal splints’. But that’s what s/he is talking about. They are carefully engineered appliances that will cause your muscles to relaz, they will reduce wear and they will also help your perform better by relieving the stresses in the jaw, lengthening and relaxing the muscles. You could actually feel fantastic as a result. It will also help translate any clenching or grinding habit into something positive.
Occlusal splints are not mouth guards per se. Well, certainly not the type one buys at the pharmacy or sports shop that protects teeth during impact sports. The one that you bought will do nothing at all for you (I am sorry to say!) except to maybe give you some awareness (as you suggested).
You may notice that some elite athletes wear occlusal splints. There are not because they grind. It is because they can actually focus better and it helps improves performance. I have written about these splints elsewhere on the forum. Use the search facility and see if the ideas fit you!
I hope that helps you! I know going to the dentist is expensive. But this grinding is in all likelihood a long term habit that is not related to your yoga. It is a problem with your practice if it is. So find out one way or the other. If the wear is appreciable and starting to lose you lots of tooth matter then I tell you that buying an ‘expensive custom made mouth guard’ every once in a while, is far less expensive than dental fillings, crowns, bridges or dentures!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thanks, Gabrielle, for your fast and detailed reply!
I’ve been giving each of your comments lots of thought. Your comment that surprised me the most was that my teeth should touch only when I eat! Clearly, I have a long way to go if that’s going to happen.
I’m wishing that I had pressed my dentist more about tooth wear. This time the comment about grinding my teeth came from a dental hygenist who may have been acting as a sales person, and I just brushed off the comment, without much thought at the time. Now, I’ll have to schedule a special new appointment or wait 6 months to see my dentist.
Do I grind my teeth at night? Perhaps, but I don’t feel any signs of grinding when I awake. When I’m awake, I’m aware of the clenching and perhaps some grinding when I’m nervous, anxious, or under stress… sometimes a tapping of my teeth together. I can’t imagine my teeth not touching together unless I press my tongue between my upper and lower teeth.
Bruxing. That’s a new term for me. Nice.
Yes, I understand that true yoga should not cause strain or struggle in my body, but some yoga postures, e.g., standing bow, don’t seem to happen without some strain and struggle. To me, it seems as though a relaxed version of the posture may occur after another year of practice, if I’m diligent and lucky.
I am making mental notes of what my teeth are doing. And, the inexpensive mouth guard is useful in helping me focus my attention on my teeth. But the mouth guard is inconvenient and easy to skip. Perhaps I need it most when I’m muscling power tools such as drills, grinders, saws, planes, sanders, polishers, etc. I know that I have a problem clenching my teeth then.
Of course, I searched the Forum for info before I posted this topic. I was searching under “tooth wear” and “mouth guards” and similar. I didn’t find much that would help me, so I started this new topic. Now, searching the proper term “occlusal splint,” I have found your comments about recovery from tooth extraction, etc., which are helpful.
You’ve convinced me that the potential benefits from a well-engineered occlusal splint far outweigh the costs. But, there’s also the inconvenience of another dental appointment and followup, when I’m planning a holiday! I will continue my mental notes and occasional use of the cheap sports mouth guard and, thanks to you, probably pursue the fancy dental appliance when I return.
I really do trust and appreciate all your advice!
Namaste —
JohnHi John – Gabrielle’s other half here. I thought I’d add my experience (I’m no dentist!) with an occlusal splint (which I no longer use). I was also told to use one, also to counter stress. I would have sworn blind that I did nothing with my teeth at night, but have since learned this is simply counter-intuitive, and we would not necessarily know. Anyway,m you know all that!
Where I had a breakthrough with my splint was in club motorcycle racing, where I used to get terribly nervous at fast bends and I could feel the tension in my face. Not too long after I started racing, I started going to hot yoga (this is in 2000) and my lap times dropped massively, but still the jaw cleaning especially in a race, and not in practice. Then I also started to use the splint and it really made a huge difference. (Not in lap times, but in reduction of fear). If you study the top MotoGP guys, they all seem to use them (well, my Hero, Valentino Rossi does, and that’s alright by me!).
I can imagine using power tools could have a similar intense concentration, where the splint could work well.
Anyway – just my layman’s 2c in case it’s useful 🙂
Hey John :cheese:
Your idea of wearing the splint when using power tools is a very good one. Even though it seems odd to some, it can really improve your focus and concentration (and not just reduce stress). If you don’t wear it during class you can just add teeth to the conscious awareness in-the-moment checklist.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thanks, Robert and Gabrielle, for convincing me that the occlusal splint, which my dentist calls a “night guard,” would be useful for activities, not just when sleeping. The club motorcycle racing might be similar to the stress and teeth clenching that I’ve been doing.
This morning I paid the money and had the impressions made — the splint will be ready and fitted to me in 2 weeks. And, I had a nice chat with my dentist to learn more about my tooth wear and use of the splint.
Apparently, my tooth wear is only normal, for my age — the dentist encourages people to get the splint because he uses one and believes that many of his patients would get benefit. He mentioned that some patients want two — one patient has one for the gym where he’s a weight lifter!
He said that he wanted me to have the splint for my lower teeth, due to the relationship of my teeth and my bite, rather than a splint for my upper teeth. That pleased me, because it seems to me that it would be easier to talk with a lower splint and easier to keep a lower splint in place.
I’ll let you know how this works out — after I’ve been using the splint for long enough to see the effect.
Again, many thanks to you both!
JohnHi John
That’s great news. Do let us know how you get on. The appliance will work in the same way whether it’s on the top or bottom teeth. It is generally visually less obtrusive on the lower ones. Mine was on the upper jaw. You get used to them. I will be interested to find out how you feel with it in at the beginning and how long it takes to get used to it. And when it has been adjusted to give optimum results if you actually feel more comfortable with it in!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle —
I’ve been enjoying my occlusal splint and owe you a report.It snaps nicely into place, is comfortable and easy to use, but I have not worn it in hot yoga or at other times, other than in bed at night. I find that I sleep a little more soundly and perhaps fall asleep more quickly. There was no difficult initial adjustment. However, it’s one more thing to remember, and I still forget it some nights.
My yoga practice has become more relaxed, even in postures like standing bow, and I’m more aware of whether my teeth are together, so the need isn’t as great as it was. I still want to try the occlusal splint in class. Is it really possible to keep from clenching your teeth in rabbit? That would be the posture when I would need the device the most, I would imagine.
Recently, when I was digging out tree stumps with a mattock, I really wanted to have the occlusal splint protecting my teeth — unfortunately I wasn’t near my house and had not thought to bring it with me! And, when I traveled for a month in France, rarely spending 2 nights in the same place, I intentionally left it back home because I was afraid that I’d forget and leave it somewhere.
My dentist pointed out that the occlusal splint would keep my teeth from migrating from their current alignment. I had my teeth straightened with braces 30 years ago and don’t want to lose the benefit.
Again, thank you Gabrielle and Robert, for encouraging me to get the occlusal splint.
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