| Sug raises her hand...
Yup. I went to the dentist today for a cleaning, and my jaw is throbbing right now from holding my mouth open so long.
Have you tried wearing a mouth guard at night? My former dentist made me one at no charge (likely because he was a friend -- but I can't imagine they'd be expensive). It fit over my top teeth and kept me from grinding at night in my sleep. That relieved a lot of the pain.
Relaxation exercises are also helpful. I no longer chew gum or eat chewy candy. I also gave up meat a few years ago -- and not surprisingly, I have a lot less pain now that I don't spend so much time chewing.
Though the drinking may relieve the pain while you're awake, I'd suspect that you grind your teeth as much or more when you're sleeping -- and hangovers are hell on it from what I remember. Drinking and trying not to drink also increased my levels of stress. I had to learn how not to need to drink before things got better.
Peace & Love,
Sugah
__________________
There's a train leaving nightly called when all is said and done
Keep me in your heart for awhile
~WZ
ANS 01/29/86 - 08/04/08
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