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Caletera,
It's good to hear from you. I'm sorry it's because you're experiencing the all to common problem of grinding and clenching. Amitriptyline does seem to be one of the best medications. Many of the newer drugs in this category actually cause grinding & clenching.

Your theory of what's causing the problems could be exactly right. There could also be a number of other reasons.
I was grinding my teeth when I was a kid. (50 years ago) I don't think it was stress at that time. In later years, pain, stress or anxiety most likely added to it.

After I was diagnosed with TMJ problems, they said my bite was off by a half mm or so and this had been the cause. A half mm isn't much. I managed to quit years later and years after having surgeries and treatments. I had a little help.

My husband had always nudged me and said you're grinding. That wasn't enough and I had such a mess with surgery related muscle trauma and nerve damage, I did not need to be grinding.


One day it was like a light bulb turned on. People had been waking me up for decades when I was grinding. (Family when I was a kid and as an adult, my husband ) I realized I had never been totally awake and the grinding resumed as soon as I went back to sleep. I told my husband to wake me, tell me to sit up, stand up and talk to him a minute. Make sure I was completely awake. We did this several weeks or maybe a couple of months and I completely stopped after grinding for decades.
That's been about 14 years ago and I have never started back regardless of my circumstances. That was also before I had access to any medications or the splint I wear now which has relaxed the muscles very close to their natural state. We did it like you would train to do anything. Constant repetition.

I don't recall if you've mentioned your personal situation, but if you have someone who's willing to help, I believe this would work for a lot of people.

I assume many think the same as they have marketed alarms for several years that go off and wake you when you grind. I haven't heard anyone speak of them for a while, but most people complained that the apparatus was uncomfortable and it would come off or they took it off during the night.

Stopping the grinding was a great help, but I clenched for many more years and that was just as bad.
That stopped with the splint I started using in 2002. Sometimes, a simple muscle relaxing splint can work even in stressful times. Mine does although I know it would not work for everyone.

I checked for any new info and this was #1 . It's about as good as it gets. The Mayo Clinic.



Bruxism/teeth grinding

Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff

Doctors don't completely understand the causes of bruxism. Possible physical or psychological causes may include:

■Anxiety, stress or tension
■Suppressed anger or frustration
■Aggressive, competitive or hyperactive personality type
■Abnormal alignment of upper and lower teeth (malocclusion)
■Changes that occur during sleep cycles
■Response to pain from an earache or teething (in children)
■Growth and development of the jaws and teeth (for children)
■Complication resulting from a disorder, such as Huntington's disease or Parkinson's disease
■An uncommon side effect of some psychiatric medications, including certain antidepressants.

Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

In most cases, bruxism doesn't cause serious complications. But severe bruxism may lead to:

■Damage to your teeth (including restorations and crowns) or jaw
■Tension-type headaches
■Facial pain
■Temporomandibular disorders - which occur in the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), located just in front of your ears and felt when opening and closing your mouth


Lifestyle and Home Remedies


By Mayo Clinic staff

These self-care steps may prevent or help treat bruxism:

■Reduce stress. Listening to music, taking a warm bath or exercising can help relax you and may reduce your risk of developing bruxism.
■Talk to your sleep partner. If you have a roommate or bed partner, ask him or her to be aware of any grinding or clicking sounds that you might make while sleeping. Your sleep partner can then let you know if he or she notices any teeth-grinding sounds in the night.
■Schedule regular dental exams. Dental exams are the best way to screen against bruxism, especially if you live alone or don't have a sleep partner who can observe bruxism at night. Your dentist can best spot signs of bruxism in your mouth and jaw with regular visits and examinations.


(This article stops short of "the waking you up" part)


There is more information that you can reach from any of these links. This is a great summary. I read several other sites and there are other treatments. Botox is being used. This is a limited treatment as it can destroy bone.
Exercise and stress reducing activies are always good.
Medication which you've tried.
I think if you can figure out how to get it stopped naturally, this would be the best. I'm certainly aware, this isn't possible for everyone.

I hope I've helped a little. Maybe some of the others will offer some suggestions as the day progresses.
Please let us know how you're doing. You're right to be concrened. Grinding is a serious problem for most of us.

Cymy Sue