he said if the cheap sports ones don't work, then perhaps I can get one done. but he said that either way, buying 3 of them is less expensive than TMJ surgery!

holy fuck.

is less expensive than TMJ surgery!

Yikes.

Teeth, man...

I have a mouth guard but I can't really sleep in it. I't been adjusted a few times, but since it was moulded from my teeth, it's a tight fit and I can't stand it. I am a freaking princess and the pea when it comes to sleep. One little irritation and I toss and turn all night

It took me a few weeks to get used to sleeping in my mouthguard, but now I can't sleep without it. For serious. It's one of those invisalign-type lexan clear things, rigid and molded to my teeth. I've even worn it to work when I was working retail on high-tension days, it helped keep me from lunging at and biting the customers.

Wearing it also eliminated the daily cluster headaches I'd had for years. I love my biteplate--which is what my dentist called it instead of mouthguard.

I don't think that I should have to justify my feelings if having to walk through it every day and look at it out my window makes me uncomfortable.

I don't think so either.

smonster, omg, I'm so sorry about your shitty day, hopefully the stitch & bitch helps?

I had a pretty aggravating day as well, what is up with today?

so my dentist said that one's bite and jaw affect one's posture and stance and vice versa. He has patients whose jaw pain is affected by their shoes.

I've read that there is a connection between jaw tension and the psoas muscle (which, in turn, can fuck up your hips and back*, among other large muscles that one would prefer did not hurt). I don't know if that's really true, and, if it IS true, I don't know WHY there's a connection.

Basically, I'm just passing along possible factoids a la Cliff Claven.

*It is a testament to my ongoing hip/back/quad pain that I am willingly getting a massage tomorrow. You KNOW it has to be bad** for me to allow a stranger to touch me while I'm naked.

**It's not actually BAD, when I compare it to the pain I had before my back surgery; it's just persistent and nagging and driving me nuts. I'm not a doctor, but I would bet good money it's muscle knots. I've tried stretching, I've tried yoga, I've tried the foam roller, and none of it helps for very long. I suspect it's just knots that I can't get at, but a massage therapist can. My mom recommended this guy -- he does deep tissue massage and trigger point work. So I am going to nut up and go see him tomorrow.

yes, posting on Facebook about whether you're too into yourself? Might be a sign that you're too into yourself.

erika, if it helps, I had the EXACT same reaction.

Wearing it also eliminated the daily cluster headaches I'd had for years.

That's what I am kinda hoping for in wearing mine finally. It's actually gotten slightly less OMG PAINFUL DISCOMFORT in the last hour, so I can probably get used to it. (Or it was the handful of Advil. Don't care.) The idea of it being better for my teeth didn't really sway me but the pain my head has been in pretty consistently finally will. I know that the clenching is making that worse.

And I can drink water while wearing it. Decently well. Dribbled a little. But no one can see me. Hopefully I will adjust to that as well and get better at it.

Shit I Didn't Say: Facebook Edition I love you. You're a great friend. Nut, yes, posting on Facebook about whether you're too into yourself? Might be a sign that you're too into yourself. Ok, now that's settled, you can tell me you hate Obama every day for a *second* four years now.

Isn't it nice to have this place to let it out? I enjoy Facebook, but the toll it takes with the tongue biting is substantial. Like how I worked a mouth reference in there?

dear insurance co, you are stupid. Drug A - that you think I should take instead of drug R - is one of the many thousands of drugs I am taking for diabetes. The reason for drug R is that my current group of drugs is not ENOUGH. None of my drugs are fun -- R is the least fun. Luckily, tomorrow is my day off,So can fight all day.

no love, me

ps - thatnks so much for adding to my husband's stress.

Laura, wrod. Tep, It would almost be funny, if she were kidding.