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I've been living with epilepsy since I was 13 with regular visits to various dentists -no one ever noticed any signs of bruxism; I only started clenching my teeth when I was about 39 - after several hospital stays and no chance finding a new job, as my seizures were clustering at the time. I'm now 41, my clenching is getting worse, while I'm having around the same number of seizures, maybe even less than when I was 37
I can control the situation during the day but I have no idea how to stop… read more
It is common for many people with Epilepsy
Thanks everyone!
Yes, I am waiting to get a new custom made night guard just to protect my teeth: the old one no longer fits. Planning to do that after the crowns are fitted, hopefully, today- falling on the ground in early Feb turned out to be really expensive in so many ways.
In the meantime, my night time clenching got worse.
My previous night video EEG, was quite recent and while I was still clenching my teeth (or the night guard), there were no seizures during that time.
I mostly move my arm and legs during the night on occasion, though most of my seizures are now happening when I'm awake.
@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member , I’m 46 & don’t recall how long exactly I’ve had TMJ but I can tell you it’s been over 10 years. At first my dentist sent me to an oral surgeon & the surgeon didn’t think I was bad enough to have surgery. Then my dentist began making me a mouth guard specifically to fit me & had me start physical therapy. Way back then I would hurt sometimes so bad that I was in tears. I went to physical therapy but it wasn’t helping as much as I wished it would but about a year later they came out with a new treatment called dry needling, where the therapist uses a needle with no medicine in it & pokes holes in both jaws & she feels around my jaws to maybe know where to poke. Then after that she starts the actual physical therapy. But it’s the dry needling that has worked wonders for me & though I still get pain in my jaws off & on, the dry needling that I get every 2 weeks has made my pain more tolerable. One time a couple years ago when I didn’t have any insurance my mouth guard broke & so I tried the over the counter ones but they were just too loose & so I didn’t wear one for a bit & that’s when I had a seizure in my sleep one night & apparently bit my bottom lip because it was numb, swollen & hurt so much that I even went & saw my Family doctor but she said that all she could do was recommend putting ice on my lip for the swelling. Well, come the next night I had another seizure in my sleep & bit my lip again but for the first time also bit my tongue. I had never had a seizure in my sleep that included all this biting of my lip & tongue. Since I grind my teeth when I sleep & wear a mouth guard, it’s hard to know for sure if I had a seizure or if it was just me grinding my teeth, when I wake up to find little bites on my cheeks or the inside of my mouth below my lip. But after having those seizures when my mouth guard was broken, sure makes me appreciate my mouth guard even more cause it can protect my mouth if I have a seizure. Hope you can get a new mouth guard soon. Yes, getting it from my dentist was expensive but worth it since it’s made to fit my mouth. Your friend in Texas, Becky
I've suffered from TMJ before I was diagnosed with epilepsy. They preacribe me a mouth guard custom made for me. It was pricy but so worth it.
@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member
Team member @A MyEpilepsyTeam Member has issues with clinching her teeth and biting her lips when she has seizures overnight. Her dentist made her a special mouth guard to protect her her mouth. Just ask her and she can give you information.
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