Anyone use a night guard for teeth grinding

[mthhurley]

My latest trip to the dentist and she tells me that it appears I grind my teeth because of some damage they see. And then tells me I should get a night guard or else it could progress and lead to TMJ. And then I find out it's not covered at all by insurance and at least $350 because it's a custom mold job.

I see generic ones online at at the pharmacy for like $30....Anyone use one and have any thoughts?

 

[L8A]

I just had this conversation with my wife because she got the same talk from the dentist. Let me know what you use and how it works Mike.

 

[kockroach]

Just get a football mouth guard from a sporting goods store....the kind that can be fit by boiling in water.

 

[giantstogie]

i have been trying to get one for 3 years. stupid insurance

 

[L8A]

Those are pretty big Jere. Isnt there something smaller out there designed just for night time use?

 

[aquarich]

MWM has custom ones! :nodlaugh: Grind away!

 

[L8A]

MWM has custom ones! :nodlaugh: Grind away!

You arent right in the head Rich!!

 

[Lorax429]

I use one. I know the one the dentist custom makes for you is expensive, but I can tell you first hand it is infinitely more comfortable and easier to get use to wearing. The drug store versions just did not work for me. Plus the custom one from the dentist is made from a harder non-permeable material so it is easier to clean, doesn't smell, and it lasts a heck of a lot longer (been using mine for over 3 yrs). In my opinion it is worth the investment. If you are grinding your teeth in your sleep it will save you in the long run from the dental problems the grinding will cause.

 

[twenty5]

Yeah, I use one that I bought at Walmart. I think it was 50$ at the time, very small and it goes on the bottom jaw.

 

[keinreis]

OK here is my story... I kept waking up with headaches, and my dentist said ti could be from grinding my teeth at night, so I picked up one of the cheap night guards. They mold easy (Boil, put in mouth, and bite down) and they are not uncomfortable at all. I had 2 issues. It didn't stop the headaches (ended up being impacted wisdom teeth) and I tended to spit it out sometime during the night. This happened rarely, but the few times it did, my dog managed to take it, and use it as a chew toy... So do they work... Yes, just make sure your dog does not get ahold of it.

 

[twenty5]

lol Scittles

One thing grinders dont have to worry about is it falling out. The one I have though, being on the bottom, seems to stay put better than if it were on top and its small enough that god forbid I swallowed it, I dont think it would kill me lol.

 

[mthhurley]

MWM has custom ones! :nodlaugh: Grind away!

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[Fourtotheflush]

Those are pretty big Jere. Isnt there something smaller out there designed just for night time use?

I ended up buying the $300 job!
It worked fine.
But it hurt to put in and take out.
Went back to the dentist.
Needed a new one @ another $300!
WTF

So I got a sports boil in water type guard.
I cut it way down (just to it was over the front 2-4 teeth).
Worked fine and not overly too big.

I dont need it anymore cuz I stopped grinding!

 

[cartisdm]

I used to grind my teeth a lot when I slept. I still do at times, but not as bad. The dentist gave me what is called an NTI. It's a little clip that goes on your upper front teeth. He then fills it with a glue and "molds" it (basically an excuse to charge a sh*t ton for nothing).

It worked by offsetting your law so they don't lock down and supposedly you aren't able to grind your teeth. I wore it for a few years until one night, I kid you not, I had a dream where I was eating home-made hard candy. I bit down in my dream and all of a sudden woke up in a LOT of pain. Turns out I had somehow removed the thing off my front teeth and bit down on it with my back teeth. Shattered it to pieces...

 

[thejavaman]

I have a custom made one from the dentist, but I rarely wear it because it's uncomfortable & my wife says it makes me snore.


Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

 

[Fourtotheflush]

Thats the $300 jobbie I got Dan, the NTI.
It was fitted just a little too tight for me.

 

[keinreis]

I would suggest going to wal-mart and grabbing one of the cheapies, and giving it a try. if it works you save $270, and if not then you only lose $30.

 

[amsgpwarrior]

I wore a regular wal-mart mouth guard to protect my teeth because of teeth grinding due to my TMJ. The doctor said I would need surgery to fix my TMJ. I am an ICU nurse and have seen this procedure done (they cut out your palate and wire it in a different place to realign your mouth),.....I said f*** that!

I started seeing a massage therapist that specialized in TMJ massage. I saw her 2x a month and wore my mouth guard every night. 6 months later I am TMJ free and don't clench and grind anymore. Take what your doctor/dentist says with a grain of salt. They don't know everything and only know of "medical" ways to fix things. So do your research and look at all the alternatives.

 

[cartisdm]

This is what I was told. Just a heads up, I am not a dentist and have done ZERO research myself to back any of it up:

The walmart/pharmacy mouth guards just protect your teeth from grinding. They do not stop you from the motion. It also does not stop you from clenching down, thus giving you the headaches. The NTI actually changes the angle of your jaw so the pressure is actually eliminated and you don't clench anymore. It's hard to tell from that picture I posted above, but it does more that just put a space between you bottom teeth and top teeth. It has a slight angle to it as well.

Again, I have no idea what I'm talking about. That's just what I was told.


EDIT: I looked into the device (full name: NTI-TSS). Apparently it can only be "prescribed" by a dentist. I find this really stupid. Literally, it's a piece of plastic that they filled with glue and stick on your teeth until it dries. Hardly what I'd call "custom fitting"

 

[ciggy]

Turns out I had somehow removed the thing off my front teeth and bit down on it with my back teeth. Shattered it to pieces...

Seems like that would be a chocking hazard as well!

I have a problem biting down on my tongue or cheeks at nite. Sometimes really bad. Wonder if something like this would help for that?