[Debbie]

I'm not sure which forum to post in...sorry if this is the wrong one.

I'm a 30 year old woman and apparently a tooth clencher. My general dentist made me a nightguard years ago to protect my teeth. I didn't wear it often because it was large, uncomfortable, and my face/jaw hurt in the morning. Two years ago, I started experiencing pain bilaterally at the base of my skull. As the pain got worse, my face started hurting. This included my jaw, the bridge of my nose, and down into my ear canals. My face felt fatigued too. After awhile, I started experiencing migraines.

My general dentist sent me to a speciality dentist who specialized in craniofascial pain. He made me an NTI, which is tiny and fits over my front teeth.

At this point, I've worn a groove in the plastic and it has become loose, so I need to go back. (This is a big deal because he is very expensive and my insurance does not cover anything.)

With chiropractic treatment and PT, I've improved my neck pain, but it is still chronic and during "bad" spells, it is exhausting.

The NTI has done a good job relieving my face pain, but not the neck pain. I'm glad I got the NTI, but I have noticed that my teeth have moved significantly. My bite, which was carefully crafted by an orthodontist when I was a kid, has changed a lot in the last year. My teeth don't move back during the course of the day either.

My question is, is this tooth movement normal with an NTI? Will my teeth keep moving until they are really far off, or is this the most they will move? Should I be concerned? Is there a better alternative?

When I go back to this dentist, I want to make sure that I'm spending my currently limited resources in the most effective way possible.

One more detail- one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that I do not have TMJ. My jaw movement is smooth, with no clicking or popping.

[uspnow1]

I think you should contact to the dentist once again. Don't neglect the pain. Contact your dentist as soon as possible. good luck.