Aching jaw

[LeadTurn_SD]

Can I help it if I was born with gills?

I have taken SO much cr*p for that avatar. Just for the record, I DO have my second stage in my hand, inches away, and I WAS blowing bubbles - you can see bubbles near my head in the un-cropped photo.

I do love that photo, tho...

Leejnd,

I see nothing wrong with your avatar picture (it is a great photo, by the way). Don't let anyone give you grief.... Regulators are soooo over-rated....

Oh, and I'm NOT blowing bubbles..... no exhale needed while HOVERING

Best wishes.

[SeaCure]

After diving for a short period of time, my jaw aches from biting down on the mouth piece. Does anyone know of a mouth piece I can switch to that is more comfortable? I had bad experience early on in my diving many years ago where saltwater entered my mouth past the regulator in 95 feet of water and I was choking so bad I needed assistance getting to the surface.

Thanks,

Jack

Jack, You need to use a SeaCure Custom Mouthpiece. It was designed by a specialist in jaw problems, and will make a huge difference in how your jaw is feeling when you dive. It is the most comfortable mouthpiece - even for divers without jaw problems - and will last for years. We just had a customer yesterday tell us that he cannot understand why anyone would dive without a SeaCure, and that he will never dive without one.

[Clanggedin]

I was having jaw fatigue with a comfo-bite mouth piece. I know I have TMD. My jaw was also locking up periodically while I was diving because of the tug of the reg hose. After I switched my hose to a miflex the problem went away while I was diving. If the comfo-bite doesn't fix it a miflex hose will.

[vladimir]

After diving for a short period of time, my jaw aches from biting down on the mouth piece. Does anyone know of a mouth piece I can switch to that is more comfortable? I had bad experience early on in my diving many years ago where saltwater entered my mouth past the regulator in 95 feet of water and I was choking so bad I needed assistance getting to the surface.

Thanks,

Jack

It sounds to me like the issue is not your mouthpiece but one of heightened anxiety when you dive that manifests itself in clenching your jaws down upon your mouthpiece. If that is the case, I doubt a Seacure is the cure. You need to address the real problem: you're not comfortable while diving. Sort it out in a pool with an instructor, or quit diving--it's supposed to be fun. If you want to be stressed in your leisure time, take up golf.

[Leejnd]

It sounds to me like the issue is not your mouthpiece but one of heightened anxiety when you dive that manifests itself in clenching your jaws down upon your mouthpiece. If that is the case, I doubt a Seacure is the cure. You need to address the real problem: you're not comfortable while diving. Sort it out in a pool with an instructor, or quit diving--it's supposed to be fun. If you want to be stressed in your leisure time, take up golf.

I respectfully disagree with your assumption. I too had the aching-jaw thing - and I am very comfortable diving, and feel no need to either work with an instructor or quit diving. I don't know why I clenched my jaw - it was unconcious - but I can assure you I was still having a great time. The aching jaw came on afterwards.

I switched to comfo-bite, and haven't had a problem since.

Seems to me, rather than suggesting the OP quit diving or go pay a bunch of money to hire an instructor, the better course of action would be to give a new mouthpiece a try.

[Akimbo]

I concur with Belce, providing you don’t have an underlying jaw injury or disease. Relax or get a warmer hood. You will enjoy the dive a lot more from that than a new mouthpiece.

You have discomfort because you most likely bite too hard on the mouthpiece. You don't have to spend dollars to fix this. Hold the mouthpiece with your mouth and do not not bite down on it. Your teeth do not hold the mouthpiece in place, if they did it would be called a teethplace.

[cmburch]

It may be do to nervousness, degree of comfort, the need to calm down, or just like to bite down on the mouthpiece like I do.

It feels good for me to bite down and I do it without thinking.

I think a new mouthpiece such as a Comfo-Bite if it fits the Reg is the first step towards a solution.

Later perhaps a MIFLEX hose may also help.

Also while diving consciously think about if there is clenching of the mouthpiece and try to stop it.

[vladimir]

I respectfully disagree with your assumption. I too had the aching-jaw thing - and I am very comfortable diving, and feel no need to either work with an instructor or quit diving. I don't know why I clenched my jaw - it was unconcious - but I can assure you I was still having a great time. The aching jaw came on afterwards.

I switched to comfo-bite, and haven't had a problem since.

That's great, but that was your situation. We're talking about the OP's situation. The OP made a point of telling us that:

I had bad experience early on in my diving many years ago where saltwater entered my mouth past the regulator in 95 feet of water and I was choking so bad I needed assistance getting to the surface.

which led me to speculate (not assume) that anxiety might be the root of the problem. Otherwise, what relevance does this experience have to the question?

I certainly agree that not every case (or even the majority of cases) of jaw fatigue is caused by anxiety.