Teeth grinding

[carbonman]

.....so, my dentist tells me I am grinding my front teeth at night.
I have never noticed these ware marks...but I have never look for them.
He wants me to start wearing a night guard on lower teeth.
My cost $500. I do a search on the internet and
find all kinds of these things for ~$20-$100.
I am wondering if this is being caused by my ffm, or what???
Do I need a custom fit from the dentist or do the off the self ones work?

I need thoughts/comments/experiences from current/past users, please.
Thanks!

[nanwilson]

.....so, my dentist tells me I am grinding my front teeth at night.
I have never noticed these ware marks...but I have never look for them.
He wants me to start wearing a night guard on lower teeth.
My cost $500. I do a search on the internet and
find all kinds of these things for ~$20-$100.
I am wondering if this is being caused by my ffm, or what???
Do I need a custom fit from the dentist or do the off the self ones work?

I need thoughts/comments/experiences from current/past users, please.
Thanks!

Go to Walmart or your local sports store and buy a sports mouthguard for $5..... if it stops guys who play football and hockey from breaking or grinding their teeth, it will work for you. I use one and my dentist agrees that it stops my grinding..... and $5 is a hell of a lot cheaper than $500 .

[Tom W]

Go to Walmart or your local sports store and buy a sports mouthguard for $5..... if it stops guys who play football and hockey from breaking or grinding their teeth, it will work for you. I use one and my dentist agrees that it stops my grinding..... and $5 is a hell of a lot cheaper than $500 .

I picked up a boil and bite type at the local drugstore for $20 (upper only) and it works for me.

The Wife has one from the dentist (very nice) but to me it is not worth the extra cash.

[caffeinatedcfo]

the above suggestions are good. CPAP does not cause teeth grinding.

[StuUnderPressure]

You can get a Super Duper "double" mouthguard (top & bottom) for a tad less than $ 10 at a good sports equipment place.

[kaiasgram]

Hi carbonman: Current user here, and I chose to have my dentist make my night guard several years ago. She first made me a soft night guard which I used for a few years. Over time my teeth shifted (not because of the night guard), so a couple of years ago she made a soft/hard night guard which I wear on my upper teeth. It has helped not only with my clenching but also acts as a retainer (the "hard" part of the soft/hard guard) so now my bite won't continue to get more skewed. However, this did not cost $500. I pay all my dental out of pocket and I paid $250ish for the soft/hard night guard.

I've heard from some hard core clenchers and grinders that they bust right through the store-bought boil'n bite mouth guards. I never tried them.

[mgaggie]

I paid $300 about 4 years ago for a mouth guard from my dentist, I was grinding my teeth so bad I actually chipped some of my teeth. $500 seems very excessive these days

[chunkyfrog]

You may indeed be one of those who can get by with an inexpensive OTC device.
If you need a custom mold, go to the nearest college of dentistry to get the biggest bang for the smallest buck.

[Kitatonic]

Before PAP, I was a tooth chipper grinder. My dentist made a very comfortable lower mandibular night guard almost a decade ago ($600) and I've worn it every night ever since. The sport ones were too bulky and uncomfortable. My guard looks like an invisible brace, but very durable. Just clean with a denture tablet in the morning. Since I have been wearing PAP the past two years, I'm not sure I still need the guard, but I have such expensive dental work, I have been advised to just continue to wear. If you have a dental investment to protect, I would recommend the custom.

[My2wins]

My dentist made me a similar device, specifically to wear during CPAP

He said it will preserve my teeth and prevent severe damage over time

He also said CPAP causes dry mouth at night, which is also harmful over time, therefore he gives me a prescription toothpaste with higher fluoride (PreviDent 5000). I've been using it off and on for several years, but since using CPAP he asked me to use it nightly.

[AnnieLA]

I'm surprised people still suggest the big sport mouth guard when it comes to teeth grinding at night. Those large mouth guards have been proven many times to increase teeth grinding activity in people who wear them at night. (See: http://www.cureyourbruxism.com/best-mou ... -grinding/ ) And when it comes to teeth grinding, the first thing you want to do is reduce it.

Knowing this, I suggest you wear a custom night guard. It's smaller and adjusted to your own teeth. But you don't have to pay $500. Do as chunkyfrog suggested, and go to your local university clinic. If you don't have one close by, you can easily order directly from dental labs online and pay around $150.

[nanwilson]

I'm surprised people still suggest the big sport mouth guard when it comes to teeth grinding at night. Those large mouth guards have been proven many times to increase teeth grinding activity in people who wear them at night. (See: http://www.cureyourbruxism.com/best-mou ... -grinding/ ) And when it comes to teeth grinding, the first thing you want to do is reduce it.

Knowing this, I suggest you wear a custom night guard. It's smaller and adjusted to your own teeth. But you don't have to pay $500. Do as chunkyfrog suggested, and go to your local university clinic. If you don't have one close by, you can easily order directly from dental labs online and pay around $150.

My cheap sports mouthguard is not big and I adjust it to my own teeth, and doesn't cause more bruxism. Where is your proof that a sports guard causes more grinding (other than an ad for a company selling another type guard) A sports mouthguard works just fine... and my dentist agrees. He could have made mega bucks by selling me one of the ones he can get made but instead suggest a otc sports boil & bite.

[AnnieLA]

There's a link in the article, here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3475357