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A MyFibroTeam Member asked a question 💭
London, UK

My teeth get really painful all at once and it's happening more frequently now to the point where it wakes me up at night. My dentist says there's nothing she can do as it's not actually a dental issue and my teeth are fine and none of my meds make a difference either.

December 4, 2019
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Answer Summary

Members connected deeply over the original poster's mysterious tooth pain that dentists could not explain, with the overwhelming consensus... Read more

Members connected deeply over the original poster's mysterious tooth pain that dentists could not explain, with the overwhelming consensus pointing to TMJ disorder and jaw clenching caused by fibromyalgia-related tension rather than actual dental problems. Several members shared that they experience similar pain from clenching their jaw in response to chronic pain, and found relief through custom mouthguards designed for sleep apnea, muscle relaxers like Lyrica and amitriptyline, trigger point injections in the jaw and neck, and simply becoming more mindful of jaw tension throughout the day. A recurring theme was the frustration of invisible pain that traditional dentistry cannot address, coupled with the challenge of managing overlapping conditions like fibromyalgia, TMJ, and sleep apnea all at once.

A MyFibroTeam Member

I also deal with teeth and gum pain. I have TMJ and burnt tongue syndrome. I get sores in my mouth and tongue that really bother me. The mouth guard helps since I grind my teeth, but after a while, the inside of my cheeks got raw. I use kids toothpaste because the mint kind burns my mouth to bad. With fibromyalgia I think that we are always tense and clamp down so it makes our jaw sore which in turn hurts our teeth. Hopefully you can find something that helps you.

December 7, 2019
A MyFibroTeam Member

I never bought a mouthguard because it won't help with the jaw clenching for me. I do it during the day, but notice it more at night because I have time to focus on it. I take a muscle relaxer, Lyrica and Tramadol. I do believe the muscle relaxer does help me a bit with it, but I have yet to find something to help more with the jaw clenching other than being mindful of it.

December 5, 2019
A MyFibroTeam Member

Monzie42, you may have TMJ, especially if your dentist recommended a mouth guard. I copied and pasted this from an article about mouth guards.

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that causes a person to temporarily stop breathing while asleep. This can prevent your brain from receiving enough oxygen and increasesTrusted Source your risk of heart disease and stroke. It can also cause excessive snoring and leave you feeling groggy the next day.

Some people with sleep apnea use a CPAP machine, which keeps your airways open while you sleep. However, if you only have mild sleep apnea, a custom-made mouthguard can provide a similar effect.

Instead of simply covering your teeth, a mouthguard for sleep apnea works by pushing your lower jaw and tongue forward, keeping your airway open. Some types have a strap that goes around your head and chin to re-adjust your lower jaw.

For this purpose, you can skip the stock and boil-and-bite mouthguards, which won’t do anything for your breathing.

December 5, 2019
A MyFibroTeam Member

YES! Oh my goodness yes. So I get horrible mouth/teeth pain. Dentist finds nothing wrong. Turns out to be my nerves all jammed up from TMJ disorder and tight muscle knots in my face, jaw and neck. I don't grind my teeth, but I clench my jaw a lot due to pain. I have been trying to be more aware of it to relax them, but it goes right back. I am sorry you are hurting so much. I know when I got trigger point injections in my face, neck and jaw area it had helped, but the specialist who was willing to do those, moved away and the guy I see now is too nervous to do injections there.

December 5, 2019
A MyFibroTeam Member

Are you grinding your teeth at night? That can cause tooth pain. My Son is going through this right now. His Dentist said to get a bite guard. I hope Your doing better soon. Stress can cause it. :(

December 4, 2019

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