Night Guard—I Found Out little Late…though

Night Guard

In Asian Proverb, they say that teeth aren’t technically part of the “five blessings” (health, wealth, longevity, love of virtue, and a peaceful death), but there’s an expression that considers them one of them. I suppose our ancestors considered the health of teeth to be of utmost importance.

 

Got blessed

I guess I’m someone who’s received that blessing. Why? Because, amazingly, my teeth are incredibly well-aligned, and in over half a century of life, aside from getting a rotten wisdom tooth pulled, I’ve never really faced any serious dental issues.

Of course, genetics probably played a role, but ever since I was young, I’ve never been the type to procrastinate. Whenever I noticed even the slightest sign of a tooth loosening, I’d use the sheer force of my tongue to push and pull it out early. Sometimes I’d yank them out so quickly that the gap would linger for a while, and I’d wonder if a new tooth would even grow back.

While others used string or went to the dentist, I was a kid who always managed to solve my own problems.

Thanks to that, the new teeth that grew in settled into their places decently enough, and now they look pretty well-aligned.

After getting discharged from the military, I had a bunch of rotten wisdom teeth removed with some minor surgery, but other than that, I’ve been getting yearly cleanings and living without much trouble…

Then, sometime after entering my 50s, I started feeling discomfort in my lower left molar whenever I ate.

Naturally, I suspected the molar was rotting from the root. Thinking I should get a root canal before it got worse, I went to the dentist.

But when the dentist looked at my X-rays, they said there wasn’t a single decayed tooth.

I got serious and insisted, “My lower left molar feels sensitive!” To which the dentist casually replied:

“You’re grinding your teeth.”

 

I couldn’t believe it. The sensitivity in my molar was because I was grinding my teeth???

Why would I be grinding my teeth?

The X-rays showed that I’d been grinding for quite a long time, and the tops of my molars were significantly worn down. The dentist said I needed to get a night guard soon to protect them before they wore out completely.

Since insurance didn’t cover it, I ended up spending $500 to get a night guard—and let me tell you, it’s far from comfortable. It’s not easy to remember to put it on every night, I wake up from tossing and turning because of the discomfort, and I even worry about accidentally chewing it up in my sleep…

The point of this post is this: if your teeth start feeling sensitive, especially around the molars, consider the possibility of teeth grinding. Because if you catch it too late, you might end up needing extractions or even implants… Anyway, for now, it seems like using a night guard is the best offense and defense I’ve got.

As we live and age, it’d be nice to know about these things in advance… but it always seems like we only take action when the problem’s right in front of us, after the damage is already done.

Oh, and why did I suddenly start grinding my teeth???

After much thought, I self-diagnosed it as “excessive stress.” The dentist also mentioned I should take more vitamin C.

So, I started taking 1000mg of vitamin C a day… but the excessive stress from daily life? There’s not much I can do about that.

I’ve figured out what’s causing the stress—it’s something inseparable from my life at this point.

Until the time comes that I trust God to handle it, I’ve resolved to endure with the help of this “nighttime guardian angel” that God has sent me—my night guard.

As I read Ecclesiastes 3 and pray for this season of excessive stress to pass quickly, I go to bed tonight with my night guard once again.

1. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2. a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3. a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4. a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5. a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6. a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7. a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8. a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
9. What does the worker gain from his toil?
10. I have seen the burden God has laid on men.
11. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
12. 

 

How to Manage Overactive Bladder: A Diet That Changed My Life