Teeth Grinding

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dskeeler

New member
Joined
May 9, 2021
Messages
2
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
03/2021
Country
US
State
OH
City
Rawson
Diagnosed with ALS in Mar 2021. I've noticed over the last month that I have been grinding/chomping my teeth only at night. There are times when I end up biting the side of my cheek during the night. Has anyone experienced this? Comments/Suggestions?
 
I was diagnosed with ALS in August 2019, with symptoms appearing one year prior to that. There was a time sometime after the diagnosis when I noticed I was clenching my jaw and grinding my teeth at night - I suspect it was stress over the situation and the fact that moving in bed was getting more difficult for me. I don't notice that I'm doing that now. It could be that I now have a hospital bed which makes me more comfortable while sleeping so I don't have to move around as much.

I do now bite the inside of my cheek occasionally at night. I suspect my facial muscles are weaker and I sleep with my head tilted to one side, so one cheek likely collapses inward a bit. Then, anytime my teeth come together, the inside of the cheek can you get caught.
 
My Chris had this early on as he was bulbar onset. Before diagnosis it was noticed that he had TMJ tension. He would bit the insides of his cheeks, particularly in his sleep. A lot of this seemed to happen in the earlier stages as muscles in his mouth were weakening - he was experiencing speech and swallowing issues with fluids.
 
For with an ongoing issue, a dentist can have a custom night guard made, or you can try an over-the-counter soft/moldable one.

Best,
Laurie
 
we had zero success with a custom guard - it triggered excess saliva and made it more difficult to swallow, making Chris more prone to aspirating. Different for each PALS but if the issues are bulbar please be careful.
 
Certainly not a "set and forget" proposition in either case. But depending on the mask used, how it's positioned, and machine humidifier settings, the BiPAP may help with any excess saliva at night.
 
I might not have been clear so will try to say it with more clarity - putting the guard into the mouth would trigger an immediate huge release of saliva, and with the guard in there, swallowing difficulties were increased and it would cause an immediate gagging, and quite a panic, and we had an instance of aspiration.
What I was describing has nothing to do with masks and bipap - it was a physical, bulbar reaction to stimulation inside the mouth.
That was our experience and I have had the same kind of thing reported by others. Doesn't mean it will happen for all PALS but to me it was worth me reporting our experience 😊
 
I had problems with clenching and grinding my teeth prior to diagnosis, especially on the right side. The problem lessened for a few years, and then reappeared. I also bite the inside of my right cheek occasionally. To avoid completely destroying my teeth on the right side, I use a small, over-the-counter mouth guard at night.
 
Yes, i have had teeth grinding and in fact my teeth are moving and becoming visibly crooked. I have a number of amalgam fillings so i am concerned about mercury gas release especially with the nighttime grinding. I have learned that amalgam fillings are at least 50% mercury. The fillings can leach mercury gas constantly, especially when there is any kind of stimulation from eating or tooth grinding. Most traditional dentists don't know this or acknowledge it. If you google a video called "the smoking tooth" you will see how the fillings release gas. I have an upcoming appointment with a functional dentist to explore possible connections between my ALS and amalgam fillings and i will be having those fillings replaced. Mercury is the second most toxic metal known to man, only second to plutonium. So it is feasible that i have mercury poisoning driving my ALS. The dentist i am seeing was also diagnosed with ALS and he discovered his symptoms were from mercury exposure at his dental practice. He is well now with no more ALS symptoms after many years. As a result of his diagnosed ALS he wears protective gear when removing amalgam fillings now. I will post after my appointment to let everyone know the outcome for me.
 
In the diagnosis process I had all kinds of blood tests, as well as a 24-hour urine sample to check for metals. (If I understood correctly) I would assume that Mercury was one of the metals the testing covered. I have amalgam fillings, as most older people do.

Good luck to you, Cathy. I sincerely hope replacing the fillings helps you!
 
We used Invisalign an orthodontist provided the treatment for free and after the treatment completed we utilized the retainers as a mouthguard. They are so small and only cover the teeth, they didn’t increase saliva or compromise swallowing. I also think that they helped retain facial structure and his teeth remained beautiful. Best wishes to you
 
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