OT - Does anyone have a dental night guard?

My husband's been wearing one for decades now, he got hit under his jaw at work and it screwed him up and he started grinding his teeth at night (I could hear him doing it) it takes a little time to get used to it he said, but if he doesn't wear it then he wakes up with a headache that'll last all day or 2 and his teeth are sore so he makes sure to wear it..his teeth would be ground down to nothing if he didn't wear it regularly so it's up to you, his teeth are soft and not everyone's are so that plays a roll too. They custom fit it to your teeth, he says his didn't ever bother him and it was easy to get used to it at the beginning.

I have one that only covers the top front teeth and FREAKING HATE IT!!!!
I tended to clench with it in more than before. So I don't use it.

Besides, the taste bothers me as well.

I also tend to clench when I'm awake more then when I sleep....so, it's more of a conscious thing to stop the habit.

q

Keep screaming "Serenity NOW"!!!!

Take a mental focus on how many times a day you actually clench. Go from there.

I can't stand to have any pressure on my teeth, and since I've had two caps replaced...top and then matching bottom at different times..they don't match up perfectly. I find myself clenching on that area to "check it out". It causes pain in those two teeth, as does from my neck. Adding something at night would only work for at night. I don't do it then, so the torture isn't worth it for me.

I have to add that I also get excess phlegm from even brushing my teeth...I wake up a few times to spit. Lately I've been coughing from a tickle on the right side from nasal drip....4 times last night felt like my eyeballs were going to pop out from the coughing. Add that I have asthma that can be exacerbated from coughing (but last night was OK), but the increased spit and throat clearing had me awake from 4 till 5ish. Ticked isn't the word I'd use....try to explain that to a dentist who's only focused on the freaking clenching...lol.

Hey, if it's covered by insurance....try it. I'd maybe go for a whole bottom one rather than the one for only the front two teeth, but I've never tried that kind.

I hate the heat and humidity as well....we've had hazy days from the Sask fires smoke. The sun looks cool and eerie tho.

Keep us posted!
q

I use one I found in the toiletry section of a big-box store. When super-anxious,I bite, my tongue in my sleep. I will slide it in when I wake up in the middle of the night. I usually find it under my pillow in the AM, so I have no idea how long it stays in.

They come in different sizes, which is a good thing. I bought one that was one-size fits all,and I couldn't get it in my mouth.

I like the one I've got now. Covers the uppers, nice and soft, flexible. The two-front-teeth ones are horrid! And isn't it better for the teeth in general that they should all meet/occlude?

In the long run it's saving me money, since I'm no longer breaking crowns, etc. Grinding, at the level I had (pretty common I think), seriously undermines one's dental health imho. The funny part is I still occasionally forget to put it in. I soak it in hot water while I floss and brush, then I forget to put it in, and go to bed, like an idiot.

Yeah, I'm in Burnaby, at Metrotown. We used to have this kind of heat in times gone by, but I'm not used to it any more. Floridians and Californians would laugh at us for complaining about this level of heat :)

The taste. Hmm...it lacks a certain...je ne sais quoi. No, but seriously, there seems to be no taste at all. It's made out of something called therm o flex. I don't know if there's any relation but it's quite similar to this product:

http://www.impact-dental.com/Thermo-Guard.html

I have one and love it Helps me sleep and never has bothered me. It is very comfortable and relieves a lot of jaw pain and tension.

I've worn one for years because I clench my teeth. I wear a really thick one because I have cracked the thinner ones with my powerful jaw muscles, lol. It has no taste and I can't sleep without it. When I was in my 20's, the dental hygentist told me I had the teeth of a 40 year old because of the clenching. Anyway, I highly recommend.

Yup, my hubby can't sleep without his or he's sure to get a headache the next day...for some people it's a life saver.

Yes I agree Q that would be a total waste of time, can't believe any dentist would even make one like that...hubby wears a full top one, it's not huge (nothing like the ones you can get at the drug store) and of course it's fitted so that makes a difference too. It took some time for hubby to adjust to his and whenever he gets a new one made it takes a little time to readjust as well but like I said, for him it's a life saver, it's different for everyone. Not all dentists are equal either...he had one made by our old dentists and it was crap and he had to get a new one made.

I've had mine for 5+ years. I take it to the dentist when I get my teeth cleaned and they put it in a special cleaning machine coming out looking like new. It cost about $400 and I used my FSA money to pay for it. I can't remember why I had to replace the old one but I think this is my 3rd dental guard. They last a long time. It also helps keep my teeth aligned...I had braces when I was younger so it acts like a retainer as well. I don't want the buck teeth to return.

Hubby's cost just over 500 (in Albert) but his electrical union benefits cover 90% most benefits will cover only one mouth guard per life-time which is stupid since they clearly don't last that long.