Teeth Grinding

[momothree]

I was wondering if anyone has noticed that their child--who previously had night time teeth grinding issues-- has seen any improvement? My son has been a teeth grinder for many years. If we were ever in the same room at night, his grinding was so bad that both my husband and I would get woken up continuously through the night. Well, recently, he had to sleep in our room because we had company, and there was absolutely NO teeth grinding either night! It was amazing, since we had come to dread when he had to sleep with us. He has been gluten free for about 5 months. Has anyone else seen this kind of change???

[sspitzer5]

I was wondering if anyone has noticed that their child--who previously had night time teeth grinding issues-- has seen any improvement? My son has been a teeth grinder for many years. If we were ever in the same room at night, his grinding was so bad that both my husband and I would get woken up continuously through the night. Well, recently, he had to sleep in our room because we had company, and there was absolutely NO teeth grinding either night! It was amazing, since we had come to dread when he had to sleep with us. He has been gluten free for about 5 months. Has anyone else seen this kind of change???

My doctor told me that teeth grinding is associated with food intolerances. I haven't had any other doctors mention this though.

S

[Michi8]

My understanding is that teeth grinding is related to stress. I'm sure that going on the gluten-free diet lessens the stress load on the body...it would be logical it would lessen stress-related issues.

Michelle

[RiceGuy]

Interesting. I had not given it much if any thought, but I've been grinding my teeth for years - 24/7 too. But now that I've been gluten-free, and figuring out the other no-no's in my diet, it has noticeably lessened. If I eat the wrong stuff it begins to increase along with the other symptoms.

[Cheri A]

My dd also was a horrible teeth grinder. We also did not like to sleep with her. It has improved for her also since going gluten free.

[jerseyangel]

I was just posting about this in another thread! My clenching and grinding has not gone away a year into the gluten-free diet.

I was diagnosed with TMJ disfunction and have been wearing a night guard to bed--it helps a lot.

[RiceGuy]

I was just posting about this in another thread! My clenching and grinding has not gone away a year into the gluten-free diet.

I was diagnosed with TMJ disfunction and have been wearing a night guard to bed--it helps a lot.

TMJ seems to run in my family - hmmm...another common trait of gluten intolerance?

[jerseyangel]

TMJ seems to run in my family - hmmm...another common trait of gluten intolerance?

Sometimes I wonder...my sister was also diagnosed with TMJ, but she dismisses it as well as the fact that she's very possibly gluten intolerant. She does not believe in western medicine at all any more, thus any diagnoses from them.

[momothree]

Wow! Very interesting! This is pretty exciting--our dentist had noticed considerable wear on his teeth from grinding and was going to fit him for a night guard as soon as he loses his last baby tooth. Maybe that's going to end up something of the past for him. Yay--I sure hope so.

[maggee]

My son had awful night time teeth grinding as well. I noticed almost right away (within a few weeks) of his gluten free diet that it stopped. He has been gluten-free for about 1 1/2 yrs and still no problems with teeth grinding.

I hope the same for your son.

Regards

[momothree]

Well, I guess we must be on to something. I'm so glad to see some change take place for my son. He is pretty much asymptomatic, so it makes it that much more difficult to stay diligent with the diet when you see no evidence of the disease. It's such a minor thing compared to some of the miraculous changes some of you have seen since going gluten-free, but for me to see something improve that I didn't even know was linked--it's a real rush! Thanks for all your responses.

[ylimaf]

My two boys are teeth grinders and their blood work has come back possitive for celiac disease. My daugters were never teeth grinders and their blood work came back clean. I am the carrier and I have as of late had symptoms that include clenching my teeth at night!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JenKuz]

Huh. I've been a terrible toothgrinder since I was a baby. I live alone, so I only know when I've been doing it from the fact that my teeth ache. But I've only recently begun to notice that my teeth seem to ache more when I've eaten a lot of gluten (before I gave it up), or been careless (now that I've given it up) and eaten, say, the soy sauce at a sushi place (I'm still new and a creature of habit, and I seem to forget what I can't eat). When I'm good, no toothache. I thought it had something to do with pain sensitization, but after reading this thread, I suspect differently. How interesting!

[teebs in WV]

I used to grind my teeth every night, but not as much lately. I was diagnosed with TMJ about 15 years ago, after ending up in the emergency room with my lower jaw locked open. It was a nightmare because the ER staff were doing all the wrong things to unlock it and actually made it worse. They sent me on to an oral surgeon in a neighboring town (yes - that was real fun - all day long with my mouth wide-open, drooling, and excrutiating pain).

This has happened about once a year and now we know what to do - sometimes we can get it unlocked ourselves, but occasionally we had to go to the ER and tell them what to do.

As I have gotten older it seems my teeth grinding is not as bad, and I really can't say there is a correlation between me following a gluten-free diet and the frequency of grinding my teeth. For me, it seems to be more stress-induced. The gluten-free diet for some people - and I could especially see this for little kids - is very stressful at first.

Sorry for the ramble.

Tracy

[Suzie-GFfamily]

That's interesting! I wonder if it is related to celiac in some way? I grind my teeth- I'll have to ask my dh is it has improved since I've been gluten-free.

My oldest child just had a biopsy this week- there were obvious changes in the intestine that could be seen with the endoscope, so I'm certain he has celiac disease, and he has been a teeth grinder since he was a baby. But he's considered aymptomatic for celiac. I wonder if his teeth grinding will lessen now?

Very interesting.....

NB> He's also had nosebleeds too- the only member of our family to get them.

[Elisa]

That's interesting! I wonder if it is related to celiac in some way? I grind my teeth- I'll have to ask my dh is it has improved since I've been gluten-free.

My oldest child just had a biopsy this week- there were obvious changes in the intestine that could be seen with the endoscope, so I'm certain he has celiac disease, and he has been a teeth grinder since he was a baby. But he's considered aymptomatic for celiac. I wonder if his teeth grinding will lessen now?

Very interesting.....

NB> He's also had nosebleeds too- the only member of our family to get them.

As a child, I had nosebleeds several times a week, through high-school age. Drs always blamed it on "allergies", without ever being specific about allergies to what. Teeth grinding and jaw clenching were chronic problems until diagnosed with Celiac. My MD and dentist both told me that the teeth grinding and jaw clenching were a result of being physically stressed and fatigued. Within a few months of being diagnosed with Celiac (at the age of 40, after having classic symptoms since about age 5) and starting a gluten-free diet, the teeth grinding and jaw clenching stopped. I don't know if it was caused by Celiac or was secondary because of stress/fatigue, but I do know that being on a gluten-free diet and improved health resolved the teeth grinding. and I'm very thankful for that!