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Bruxism Discovered After Nearly Twenty Years of Terrible Headache Pain

by Kirsten Ziman
(Hanover, New Hampshire)

It wasn't until I was in my twenties that my dentist realized I had been grinding my teeth at night, likely for most of my life. It took chipping one of my front teeth in my sleep for this issue to finally come to light.


I immediately obtained a mouthguard and was amazed at the effect it had on my life. The near daily migraines that had tormented me since childhood were reduced in frequency by at least 85%, literally overnight. I didn't realize that, even on days when I didn't have an obvious, throbbing headache, I had been living with chronic pain. The effect was so profound that I nearly considered switching career paths from pursuing a research career in neuroscience to dentistry.

I also now do a number of things to maintain a healthy lifestyle, reduce stress, and avoid headaches (including yoga, meditation, healthy diet, regular sleep, etc.) but the discovery of my bruxism has had the largest impact by far. I am curious now about the effects acupuncture might have on the condition and hope to add this to my self-care regimen in the near future.

I hope that this testimonial will help others to realize the importance of treating bruxism.

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