Ability To Grind Teeth Helps Deal With Stress

[ecstatichamster]

Dr. Peat has mentioned this often. Rats that are stressed by torturing scientists are far better off if they are given something in their mouth to clamp down on.

Bruxism affects stress responses in stressed rats

It has been proposed that suppression of stress-related emotional responses leads to the simultaneous activation of both sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and that the expression of these emotional states has a protective effect against ulcerogenesis. In the present study, we investigated whether stress-induced bruxism activity (SBA) has a physiological effect of on the stress-induced changes of the stomach, thymus, and spleen as well as blood leukocytes, cortisol, and adrenaline. This study demonstrated that SBA attenuated the stress-induced ulcer genesis as well as degenerative changes of thymus and spleen. SBA also attenuated increases of adrenaline, cortisol, and neutrophils in the blood. In conclusion, expression of aggression through SBA during stress exposure attenuates both stress-induced ANS response, including gastric ulcer formation.


What might this mean for all of us human rats (not to mention hamsters) who are stressed all the time?

I have always had a lifelong habit of nail biting...I wonder if this is my form of stress-induced bruxism....?

 

[Bogdar]

Can relate.

I have had an intense stress period where I would have day long "SBA". It was so satysfying I couldn't stop me. Eventually my ATMs (jaw joints) burnt up and got grinded too, I couldn't SBA anymore and things got worse (it would have gotten worse anyways) but since I can grind my teeth again it feels so much better. It really is a supportive mecanism

 

[Inspired]

My alternative theory is that clenching the jaw/facial area is a sort of protective anticipatory tension, to brace oneself for potential combative strikes to the head or face.

If you get hit with something, in a lot of cases it is probably better to have your jaw clenched and neck stiff. However, sometimes being very loose allows the energy to dissipate instead.

 

[Inspired]

I have to say, that bruxism is the worst possible way to deal stress. If you have any control over your bruxism responses and habits, somehow make yourself not grind or clench or have pressure in those areas. Bruxism only becomes stronger and stronger, the more you do it. You can train yourself not to do it. It is possible.

 

[ecstatichamster]

I have to say, that bruxism is the worst possible way to deal stress. If you have any control over your bruxism responses and habits, somehow make yourself not grind or clench or have pressure in those areas. Bruxism only becomes stronger and stronger, the more you do it. You can train yourself not to do it. It is possible.

Not what the study implies.

 

[Inspired]

Not what the study implies.

True, but.......tell me this: what's more important: your teeth or protecting against a possible stomach ulcer?

 

[Bogdar]

I have to say, that bruxism is the worst possible way to deal stress. If you have any control over your bruxism responses and habits, somehow make yourself not grind or clench or have pressure in those areas. Bruxism only becomes stronger and stronger, the more you do it. You can train yourself not to do it. It is possible.

From my experience I disagree with you. It was totally impossible for me to not do it. When I thought about it, I could let my jaws relax but as soon as I stopped focusing it would clench. Even during sleep when I have no control over it, I'd woke up with clench jaws.

Concerning teeth health, it did not destroyed my teeth at all but my joints. After doing my researches, thanks to Mew's family and others, I found out that I actually had mechanical disposition for my ATM to grind up. A lot of people clench and end up with better occlusion and no joints damages. Some other like me, end up with screwed up joints and bad occlusion. It was all due to my mandible being to set backward because of: poor tongue posture; open mouth habit and some mouth breathing habits.

My point is clenching is not as detrimental as it is usually said, it's actually a method for the system to either stabilise the jaw when bad occlusion or deal with stress. Previous bad jaws mechanics can indeed mess some things up.

 

[ecstatichamster]

True, but.......tell me this: what's more important: your teeth or protecting against a possible stomach ulcer?

Of course. But perhaps we are being too literal. I made an analogy to nail biting. There are many such behaviors that may serve to dissipate stress and reduce harmful stress hormone and catecholamines.

 

[LucidElysian]

I've long engaged in mild bruxism out of rumination, and thus, habit. Never really had TMJ thankfully.

At least it improves facial shape by hypertrophying the masseter muscle.

A safer and aesthetics-enhancing alternative would be something like this (no affiliation, haven't yet tried):
CHISELL

Would be worthwhile as an adjunct to a largely liquid diet (milk, OJ/soft fruits etc.) to mimic the 'hard-food' diet advocated by Weston A. Price to aid facial development and width (namely masseter width + zygomatic width).

 

[Inspired]

From my experience I disagree with you. It was totally impossible for me to not do it. When I thought about it, I could let my jaws relax but as soon as I stopped focusing it would clench. Even during sleep when I have no control over it, I'd woke up with clench jaws.

Concerning teeth health, it did not destroyed my teeth at all but my joints. After doing my researches, thanks to Mew's family and others, I found out that I actually had mechanical disposition for my ATM to grind up. A lot of people clench and end up with better occlusion and no joints damages. Some other like me, end up with screwed up joints and bad occlusion. It was all due to my mandible being to set backward because of: poor tongue posture; open mouth habit and some mouth breathing habits.

My point is clenching is not as detrimental as it is usually said, it's actually a method for the system to either stabilise the jaw when bad occlusion or deal with stress. Previous bad jaws mechanics can indeed mess some things up.

I also have a hard time controlling my clenching. Conscious efforts to reduce or stop clenching can still cause a reduction in clenching overall, and that has to be a benefit.

The problem with this thread is that people may read it and justify their bruxism as something "ok" or even "good". Sorry, but I don't find anything good about clenching.

 

[Inspired]

Of course. But perhaps we are being too literal. I made an analogy to nail biting. There are many such behaviors that may serve to dissipate stress and reduce harmful stress hormone and catecholamines.

I always found nail biting to be fun. It's addictive. It's not only something to do, but it has a high level of satisfaction.

I just decided to stop biting by nails. I put a nail clipper nearby and used that. And I.....just stopped doing it.

I think the people who......bite their nails like really far, like half way down to the nail bed. Those people are probably doing it as a reaction to stress.

 

[Inspired]

I've long engaged in mild bruxism out of rumination, and thus, habit. Never really had TMJ thankfully.

At least it improves facial shape by hypertrophying the masseter muscle.

A safer and aesthetics-enhancing alternative would be something like this (no affiliation, haven't yet tried):
CHISELL

Would be worthwhile as an adjunct to a largely liquid diet (milk, OJ/soft fruits etc.) to mimic the 'hard-food' diet advocated by Weston A. Price to aid facial development and width (namely masseter width + zygomatic width).

You're right about the facial shape. I have some well developed jaw and facial muscles because of my bruxism.

And if you do any sort of intermittent fasting or liquid diets or anything, or arechewing less, you are going to lose muscle and bone in your face.

That device above looks awesome. Thanks. I just wonder if putting force on only some teeth, can shift or hurt your other teeth. Would it be better to apply the force across all teeth? That's the question. But this device looks like it would accomplish the goal of building bigger muscles.

 

[Bogdar]

I also have a hard time controlling my clenching. Conscious efforts to reduce or stop clenching can still cause a reduction in clenching overall, and that has to be a benefit.

The problem with this thread is that people may read it and justify their bruxism as something "ok" or even "good". Sorry, but I don't find anything good about clenching.

Well, I see clenching more as a symptom than a cause. There indeed are some benefits in clenching, eventho I agree in some cases or if too intense and long term it is a problem.
However you can't "heal" the clenching since it's not a pathology, you have to focus elsewhere, it the cause making you clench. Overall I would say clenching is a helper during those time of stress, hence why we do it, but it has to be temporary and not chronic.
Btw, if you have TMJ pain or afraid of it when clenching, a plastic retainer from your dentist/ortho will totally prevent your tmj from degrading, even when clenching.

 

[LucidElysian]

You're right about the facial shape. I have some well developed jaw and facial muscles because of my bruxism.

And if you do any sort of intermittent fasting or liquid diets or anything, or arechewing less, you are going to lose muscle and bone in your face.

That device above looks awesome. Thanks. I just wonder if putting force on only some teeth, can shift or hurt your other teeth. Would it be better to apply the force across all teeth? That's the question. But this device looks like it would accomplish the goal of building bigger muscles.

It's funny, I've done both IF + loosely Peating - both on + off - for years (since ~19). Recently applied a lot more Peat principles but as recently as January I was doing 44hr dry fasts.
Of course IF devastates the thyroid and testosterone too (as I was just watching from a recent thread -- 44:25 to 49:10 here: )

but
IF <48hrs does not cause muscle loss, at least in studies I read from leangains.com circla 2012.

I can see how it might due to cortisol and adrenaline, but I never experienced any noticeable muscle loss. I hold almost 200lbs LBM well, even with no intervention like exercise.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
To touch on facial structure (which is like trying to dip your toes into Peat -- you're gonna want to read more):

I would have zero concern about shifting the teeth. The force applied is vertical, and mimics eating, yet is better, as there's no engagement of the buccinator muscles which make the cheek puffy (utilised by circular chewing/with the cheeks - straight up-and-down is pure masseter).

The teeth aren't at play here.

AstroSky advertised it the other day on YouTube (good channel for improving facial structure). The theory checks out, and the testimonials are out there.
It's just like the dozens of guys' reports + transformation pictures on chronic use of falim gum (mastic gum) for the same effect, only this thankfully removes the buccinators from the equation.

 

[Gone Peating]

My alternative theory is that clenching the jaw/facial area is a sort of protective anticipatory tension, to brace oneself for potential combative strikes to the head or face.

If you get hit with something, in a lot of cases it is probably better to have your jaw clenched and neck stiff. However, sometimes being very loose allows the energy to dissipate instead.

Clenching the jaw is definitely a protective defense mechanism. It prevents the tmjs from becoming unhinged and slipping out of the disc that surrounds them if you are struck in the chin/jaw, and once they come out of the disc they cannot be put back in, leading to the two jaw bones becoming in constant contact - this is what happened to me after being struck in the face when i wasn't expecting it at all and thus had a lax jaw

My tmj dentist who cured me of my horrible case of tmj estimates that more people than they themselves realize probably have tmjs that have slipped out of their disks from being struck in the face at some point in their lives. Much of the time (like in my case) tmj dysfunction/injuries result in pain in other areas like the neck shoulders head than in the jaw itself

 

[HumanLife]

Clenching the jaw is definitely a protective defense mechanism. It prevents the tmjs from becoming unhinged and slipping out of the disc that surrounds them if you are struck in the chin/jaw, and once they come out of the disc they cannot be put back in, leading to the two jaw bones becoming in constant contact - this is what happened to me after being struck in the face when i wasn't expecting it at all and thus had a lax jaw

My tmj dentist who cured me of my horrible case of tmj estimates that more people than they themselves realize probably have tmjs that have slipped out of their disks from being struck in the face at some point in their lives. Much of the time (like in my case) tmj dysfunction/injuries result in pain in other areas like the neck shoulders head than in the jaw itself

Your TMJ dentist cured you? What did they do? My dentist got me a soft splint.

 

[InChristAlone]

My TMJ muscles went into the most painful spasms ever due to clenching. I put mag oil on them before bed and it's kept me mostly pain free but I still can't chew really hard food for very long.

 

[HumanLife]

My TMJ muscles went into the most painful spasms ever due to clenching. I put mag oil on then before bed and it's kept me mostly pain free but I still can't chew really hard food for very long.

That’s good that you are mostly pain free! What about popping sounds? I can’t stand mine.

 

[InChristAlone]

That’s good that you are mostly pain free! What about popping sounds? I can’t stand mine.

Before I figured out the magnesium cure, I went to a chiro to help with it and he taught me how to open and close my mouth without causing the popping. I didn't do my exercises long enough so I still sometimes forget where the proper position is but it's supposed to become muscle memory.

 

[HumanLife]

Before I figured out the magnesium cure, I went to a chiro to help with it and he taught me how to open and close my mouth without causing the popping. I didn't do my exercises long enough so I still sometimes forget where the proper position is but it's supposed to become muscle memory.

I see… what moves did he recommend to you? I have had popping for months and I can’t stand it lol.

I’m also taking magnesium now so hopefully that helps too.