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Medical Forum / General / Dentistry / March 2008clenching question
I clench my teeth while I'm awake - not hard, it's just that it seems to feel more natural to have my jaws together. Yet I've read that your teeth shouldn't touch when you're not eating. This raises a question. When I realise I'm clenching, I relax my jaw muscles, but this means my mouth opens. So this means that to be a 'non-clencher' you have to go around with your jaw muscles *partly* relaxed. To me, that seems totally unnatural: when you contract a muscle, it seems almost instinctive to contract it all the way. Keeping a muscle half-contracted, hour after hour, seems a tall order - and in the case of your jaws, you have to do it unconsciously, unless you want to spend your whole day fixated on your teeth. So how do people do it? (This isn't a facetious question, BTW). Good kitchen knives are stored in a wooden block instead being loose in a drawer. The reason is to keep the blades from being damaged banging against each other. Your teeth should be regarded in similar fashion. They are the hardest structure of the human body, but they will be damaged by abuse. The most common abuse is to clench and/or grind them against each other. With a normal anatomical build, there should be 'freeway space' where your teeth are not touching, yet your lips can easily close. That should be the jaw position most of the time. But....not everyone has 'normal' anatomy. Your dentist should be able to tell you. Steve > I clench my teeth while I'm awake - not hard, it's just that it seems > to feel more natural to have my jaws together. Yet I've read that your [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > So how do people do it? (This isn't a facetious question, BTW). > Good kitchen knives are stored in a wooden block instead > being loose in a drawer. The reason is to keep the blades [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > can easily close. That should be the jaw position most > of the time. Placing your tongue against the roof of your mouth will allow for the "freeway space" and a resting point for those muscles. If there are anatomical irregularities, this tongue position may not be effective. Webby > But....not everyone has 'normal' anatomy. Your dentist > should be able to tell you. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > > > So how do people do it? (This isn't a facetious question, BTW). In article <tmjiatroepidemic-562666.07310607032008@news.phx.highwinds-media.com>, > > Good kitchen knives are stored in a wooden block instead > > being loose in a drawer. The reason is to keep the blades [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Webby Hmm. The placement, more precisely described, is: place the tongue on the roof of the mouth, just touching behind the upper front teeth. You should be able to feel a significant difference between whatever you are doing and when resting the jaw in that arrangement. This is not a secret maneuver. I just realized that I don't often read posts from people suggesting this so I thought I'd give it a "shot". ;-) W. > > But....not everyone has 'normal' anatomy. Your dentist > > should be able to tell you. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > > > > > So how do people do it? (This isn't a facetious question, BTW). >In article ><tmjiatroepidemic-562666.07310607032008@news.phx.highwinds-media.com>, [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >> >> Webby Sorry Webster, this tongue placement is completely wrong. Laying the tongue flat in the floor of the mouth and suppressing it to it's lowest possible point will relax the muscles of mastication. Just try it and you will feel the difference. >Hmm. The placement, more precisely described, is: place the tongue on >the roof of the mouth, just touching behind the upper front teeth. You [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] >> > > >> > > So how do people do it? (This isn't a facetious question, BTW). > >In article > ><tmjiatroepidemic-562666.07310607032008@news.phx.highwinds-media.com>, [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > >should be able to feel a significant difference between whatever you are > >doing and when resting the jaw in that arrangement. When doing as you suggest, the fatigue is instant and in a short time becomes intolerable. Hmm. W. > >This is not a secret maneuver. I just realized that I don't often read > >posts from people suggesting this so I thought I'd give it a "shot". ;-) [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > >> > > > >> > > So how do people do it? (This isn't a facetious question, BTW). >> >> Placing your tongue against the roof of your mouth will allow for the >> >> "freeway space" and a resting point for those muscles. If there are [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > >W. Assuming that you are responding to me: Your anatomy is unique as is your experience. Lower your mandible, and lay your tongue as flat as possible in the floor of your mouth. Do not strain to do this. Think like a 'slack jawed mongoose'... 8^[_] This relaxes all of the muscles of mastication. Of course YMMV > >> >> Placing your tongue against the roof of your mouth will allow for the > >> >> "freeway space" and a resting point for those muscles. If there are [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Your anatomy is unique as is your experience. True enough. > Lower your mandible, and lay your tongue as flat as possible > in the floor of your mouth. Do not strain to do this. The problem for me is likely related to my loss of normal function. Lowering my mandible just a short distance is close to 100% of my entire mandibular function. (No retrusive, protrusive or lateral movement.) It is not possible for me to do this without straining. > Think like a 'slack jawed mongoose'... 8^[_] > > This relaxes all of the muscles of mastication. > Of course YMMV Yes. Mine *does* vary. Curious but true. Thanks for the suggestion though. Webb.y >> >> >> Placing your tongue against the roof of your mouth will allow for the >> >> >> "freeway space" and a resting point for those muscles. If there are [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > >Webb.y Did you see my note about the possibility of growing new condyles from your own stem cells ? This may be a bit far off for the general public, and I would guess that you would be reluctant to be a 'test case'. However, this may be something for you to follow the development of, and your input would be exceedingly unique. Perhaps a "new growth" may be in your future. Hope so for your sake. Best wishes, -wB > >> >> >> Placing your tongue against the roof of your mouth will allow for > >> >> >> the [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] > Best wishes, > -wB Yes! I did see your post about this but just haven't had time to respond. Actually, I tried a few times but got bogged down trying to just say, "Yes, I've heard about that! It won't be for me but it might serve someone else's needs. Thanks for thinking about me, WB!" That is all I really should need to say, but just thinking about the topic sends my mind into a series of memories and I end up with writer's block and feeling completely overwhelmed by the *fact* that such a thing even applies to me. It's the "why" part that boggles the mind ... I know you meant well and I truly appreciate that. Webby >> Good kitchen knives are stored in a wooden block instead >> being loose in a drawer. The reason is to keep the blades [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > >Webby Strongly disagree. If you subduct your tongue to it's lowest possible point in the floor of the mouth it is impossible to clench. However this position is impossible to maintain, as is your suggestion. >> But....not everyone has 'normal' anatomy. Your dentist >> should be able to tell you. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >> > >> > So how do people do it? (This isn't a facetious question, BTW).
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