Most children can probably recall a time when their parents warned them about grinding teeth.
“It isn’t good for your teeth,” is what you most likely heard them say. You probably still did it anyway but eventually stopped as you grew up. In other words, it’s a common thing people do as they age.
This wasn’t the case with young Alan. Like most boys his age, Alan had begun grinding his teeth out of impulsive habit. His parents would see his jaw move slightly as he ground both his top and bottom teeth together.
“Don’t do that,” his mother said, “It isn’t good for your teeth.”
Alan heard what she said and considered it, but quickly went right back to grinding. He didn’t really see any problem with it. It helped him to relieve his stress and felt kind of good at the same time.
Every time he believed his mother couldn’t see him, Alan would grind his teeth. He wouldn’t just do it for a couple seconds either. It would go on for hours on end until he thought someone would catch him.
Months went by and Alan found his jaw becoming somewhat sore. He worried that it had been a result of his constant grinding and promised never to do it again. At this point Alan had become addicted to the habit and would catch himself doing it subconsciously. To counter this he tried biting his tongue, slapping himself whenever he began to grind, and even ate just so he could do something with his mouth besides grind. Alan didn’t dare tell his parents though. He imagined that they would be furious that he had been doing grinding for so long and without telling them.
Despite these efforts Alan continued to find himself grinding at every moment. The effect on his teeth only grew worse as it became harder to chew certain foods. Blood would start appearing more often in his drinks. His parents took notice of it and demanded to inspect Alan’s teeth.
Realizing that he couldn’t argue with them at this point, Alan opened his mouth. His parents gasped as they looked inside. Alan’s teeth had been worn to stubs while his gums were oozing blood. The very sight alone made Alan’s mother jerk her head away to avoid seeing any more.
Nobody really knows what happened to Alan after this point. The story goes off in all kinds of direction with some saying he’d been euthanized and others saying he had to have constructive surgery done one his face. Whatever the case, it should be said that you must never make grinding your teeth an impulsive habit. The effects will appear before you know it.
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