Swallow BPA Or Destroy My Teeth?

frant26

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Long time lurker, this is my first post!

A few months ago I found out I was grinding my teeth during the night... I attributed it to the stress of the moment. Which then went away, but I kept grinding.

I don't want to destroy my teeth so I went to a dentist, got a mouth guard and started using it. It is made of "policarbonato", which I then discovered is made from bisphenol-A (BPA).

My friend has a similar one that is all worn off. He basically ended up swallowing the estrogenic compound but I don't know if those amounts are actually dangerous. What do you think?

Is it a good tradeoff to use that stuff regardless of BPA? (I can't get non-BPA guards in this country. :roll: )

I read it could have to do with high serotonin, but there I wouldn't know what to do besides diet.

Any other alternatives for bruxism? is there such a thing as a non-toxic non-plastic mouthguard?
 

tara

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:welcome frant26

I think your concern about grinding on BPA-containing plastic is reasonable - my guess is it would be good if you can find an alternative, thought I don't know of any.

Are you chewing in your sleep because you are hungry? Does eating more during the day help?
What and how much are you eating? Are you getting generous magnesium?
 
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frant26

frant26

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Thanks! I don't think I'm chewing because I'm hungry. I do eat generous amounts of cheese, shellfish, potatoes, sugar, etc during the day (I need to start tracking calories!)

Additionally I'm supplementing calcium (homemade from eggshells, about 400mg available Ca) and magnesium (magnesium glycinate, about 600mg+) before going to bed.

Hemp sounds great :) I thought of bamboo at some point, but at any rate I would have to build that myself.

Many people have bruxism. It's crazy the only popular "patch", not even fix, is a piece of toxic plastic.
 
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frant26

frant26

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It's also hard to track the exact occurrence or intensity (and possible relief), since this happens while I'm asleep.
 

tara

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frant26 said:
Thanks! I don't think I'm chewing because I'm hungry. I do eat generous amounts of cheese, shellfish, potatoes, sugar, etc during the day (I need to start tracking calories!)
I just thought of this because, though I don't have bruxism, I occasionally dream of eating when I've been a bit too short for a day or two.
Are you keeping really warm at night to help keep night-time stress down?
 
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frant26

frant26

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Dreaming about food... that's cool :)
Yes I feel warm at night and I believe I eat enough. Regardless, I'll try wearing more clothes (it's winter here) and getting real ice-cream just before bed. If only I could track how badly I'm grinding...

Tonight I will dream about a mouthguard device made out of hemp or bamboo or some other hip non-toxic material, with embedded sensors connected to a phone app that graphs nightly teeth grinding levels.
 

tara

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frant26 said:
Tonight I will dream about a mouthguard device made out of hemp or bamboo or some other hip non-toxic material, with embedded sensors connected to a phone app that graphs nightly teeth grinding levels.
Tee hee.
Now I'm wondering if there is any benign substance you could coat yor mouthguard in the would be robust enough to not all dissolve in your mouth, but weak enough to leave marks when you grind hard ... haven't thought of one yet.
 

DKayJoe

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Hi frant26, apologies if this question is too personal or offends but do you use MDMA or amphetamine at all?
 
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frant26

frant26

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DKayJoe, no problem.

About a year ago I tried MDMA for the first time, and a few months later something I then found out had amphetamine (MDMA was great, amph was horrible). That would total ~600mg between those two, and that was it.

I do think there is a connection somewhere between these substances, serotonin receptors and bruxism (so many people on SSRIs end up with bruxism). It could have been in my case, I really don't know, but my dentist tells me I have mild bruxism that appears to be going on for several years.
 

DKayJoe

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Fair enough, I doubt that would contribute that much from such a small amount, it was just a shot in the dark from personal experience. When I was in my mid teens I was using a lot substances with MDMA and Amph quite heavily, I ended up with bruxism for around 6 months even after stopping all substances.

If it's due to Serotonin maybe look at carrot salads, light therapy on your intestine, etc etc to bring it down? Might not be a cure but might ease the intensity of the bruxism?
 

Stuart

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frant26 said:
Long time lurker, this is my first post!

A few months ago I found out I was grinding my teeth during the night... I attributed it to the stress of the moment. Which then went away, but I kept grinding.

I don't want to destroy my teeth so I went to a dentist, got a mouth guard and started using it. It is made of "policarbonato", which I then discovered is made from bisphenol-A (BPA).

My friend has a similar one that is all worn off. He basically ended up swallowing the estrogenic compound but I don't know if those amounts are actually dangerous. What do you think?

Is it a good tradeoff to use that stuff regardless of BPA? (I can't get non-BPA guards in this country. :roll: )

I read it could have to do with high serotonin, but there I wouldn't know what to do besides diet.

Any other alternatives for bruxism? is there such a thing as a non-toxic non-plastic mouthguard?

Did your dentist tell you that the guard was made of BPA? This article
http://mouthguardsforteethgrinding.com/ ... th-guards/
claims that 'most' anti bruxism devices are 'BPA free'.
I've ground my teeth since I was a small boy, so I've worn a night guard for decades. 'But i've always just used the cheap boil and bite softer ones . They only last a few years though. Colgate, the company that makes the ones I've used for the last 30 years, claim theirs is BPA free - a 'thermoplastic polyurethane' they tell me.
The boil and bite ones are less effective than the hard custom fit ones at preventing impact sporting damage, but are actually less abrasive , so more effective for preventing bruxism erosion.
The bulkiness factor of the boil and bite type is a bit of a deal breaker, but you can trim off most of the side thickness with a pair of sharp scissors then smooth the cut marks with wet and dry sandpaper. I''ve never had a custom fitted guard, but the trimmed boil and bite ones are just as comfortable.
I've never used MDMA or amphetamines, but that connection is really interesting.
 

mujuro

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I had bruxism as a boy. I did wear a guard, no idea what it was made of. I was a very anxious child, well into my teens. It was actually around age 15 or so that I was allowed to remove the guard after we saw that the gradual wearing-away had stopped. I've been on and off (mostly on) antidepressants or some kind of psychiatric drug ever since. Go figure.
I remember the dentist told me it was a matter of entraining the brain to stop biting down, by providing a resistance that stops the jaw from flexing its full range of motion.
 

Giraffe

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frant26 said:
A few months ago I found out I was grinding my teeth during the night... I attributed it to the stress of the moment. Which then went away, but I kept grinding.
You wrote that you take magnesium glycinate. Did you check if topical magnesium makes a difference?

Another thought... For a while I used to clench my teeth without noticing it. It was after I was asked to bite the teeth together for a couple of seconds and than relax that I noticed it. Want to give it a try?
 

shepherdgirl

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Any other alternatives for bruxism? is there such a thing as a non-toxic non-plastic mouthguard?
Have been wondering about this ever since, after many years, my $400 hard plastic mouthguard recently started tasting of strong plastic ... blecch! So i made a boil and bite one, at least for now. I am not keen on having plastic in my mouth so have been considering alternatives. I read that you can get a gold/platinum night guard for a measly 7 grand!!
Then i started wondering if borosilicate glass, like the original pyrex, could make an acceptable nightguard. Another possibility: maybe heartwood? Teak or cedar or some other wood that is not prone to rot. But these are just ideas.
I have also heard that it is currently possible to get a natural rubber mouthguard.
Has anyone made or used a nonplastic mouthguard? Has anyone stopped or lessened their bruxism, or found a way to measure their bruxism?
 

Pistachio

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Long time lurker, this is my first post!

A few months ago I found out I was grinding my teeth during the night... I attributed it to the stress of the moment. Which then went away, but I kept grinding.

I don't want to destroy my teeth so I went to a dentist, got a mouth guard and started using it. It is made of "policarbonato", which I then discovered is made from bisphenol-A (BPA).

My friend has a similar one that is all worn off. He basically ended up swallowing the estrogenic compound but I don't know if those amounts are actually dangerous. What do you think?

Is it a good tradeoff to use that stuff regardless of BPA? (I can't get non-BPA guards in this country. :roll: )

I read it could have to do with high serotonin, but there I wouldn't know what to do besides diet.

Any other alternatives for bruxism? is there such a thing as a non-toxic non-plastic mouthguard?
Don't they make silicone ones?
 

Nfinkelstein

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Nov 13, 2020
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318
Try homeopathy first, cina 30c, once a day for up to a week. If it doesn't eliminate the problem there are about 5 or 6 other remedies worth trying. They are cheap and when you find the right one it is like a miracle.

On another note, be aware that there may be structural problems in your bite which is causing the bruxism --- they'd need to be fixed by a dentist obviously. Have you gone to a dentist and have them assess your bite?
 

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