Why this occasional tooth ache?

One of my molars gets sore usually in the evening and causes a little pain when I chew on it. I have notice that during the night I periodically clench or grind my teeth. Then I saw a commercial suggesting that may be causing my discomfort. Is this true or were they just trying to sell something? What else could it be?

Why this occasional tooth ache?
It could be clenching your teeth, or it could be problems with the molar itself. See your dentist and have an x-ray to determine if there is damage to the tooth or the root area.





There is a simple and inexpensive way to determine if your problem is due to grinding your teeth. Please note, this is not doctor approved, and should probably NOT be used long term. Go to your local Walmart or discount store and purchase an inexpensive mouth guard, used by football players. It should be very inexpensive (less than $1.00), and the ones I have seen are clear and rubbery/silicone material. Cut the center portion of the mouth guard into a piece about 1 1/2 inches long, using the center of the original mouth guard as the center for your "test" mouth guard. Place this portion of the mouth guard over your lower front 2-4 teeth. Bite down, gently at first, and your jaw teeth should no longer meet. Trim the mouth guard as necessary till you have a comfortable fit. It will be awkward at first, but you will get used to it quickly, and you will only have to wear it while you sleep.





If you are comfortable wearing a full size football mouth guard, that would also probably work. Many people find that the full size mouth guards will trigger the gag reflex, however, and your jaw teeth will still be able to meet, although there will be some protective material between them.
Reply:Actually, that's exactly what it could be.


Possibly sinus pressure in the evenings, if you have sinus problems.


I had a molar capped and it was a little bit taller than the original was.


I caused a lot problems with the opposite molar, just because it kept putting pressure on it.


The doctor ground it down a little bit and i've never had problems with it since.


So, cronic clenching could produce the same symptoms.
Reply:yea thats pretty much what it is. i have the same problem. i have a sore jaw right now bc i grind my teeth at night. might also be somekind of abscess in ur tooth that u cant see yet, u might wanna go get that checked out b4 they have to perform a root canal. god luck
Reply:I had the same problem turned out to be in the gum had tooth removed have had no bother since
Reply:YOUR BITE IS PROB ALLY OFF!!!!!!!! YOU MAY JUST NEED A BITE ADJUSTMENT!!! BUT IT REALLY SOUNDS LIKE TMJ!! YOU GET TMJ (WHICH IS IS SORENESS IN YOUR JAW MUSCLES AND THE TEETH IN THE AREA THAT YOU ARE GRINDING ACHE IT IS REAL IT ALSO CAN CAUSE HEADACHES IF SEVER ENOUGH!!! YOU NEED TO SEE A DENTIST LET THEM CHECK YOUR BITE THEN BE FITTED FOR A MOUTH GUARD YOU WEAR IT WHEN YOU SLEEP!!!! IT KEEPS YOU FROM GRINDING THE OCCLUSION SURFACES AND GRINDING DOWN YOUR TEETH ALSO PREVENTS THE SORENESS!!!!!