Mouth guards for sleep grinding...

You get used to it very quickly. I really feel like something is missing if I attempt to go to bed without it (and I can't wear socks to bed either!) I brush mine with my toothbrush and then toss it into a glass of water with a denture tablet. Easy care.

I highly recommend one. As others said, you get used to it & it will feel wrong to try & sleep without it. And when you wake up with your jaw not hurting, that will be incentive enough!

I can't tell you about a night guard specifically-- I bought one but never got around to making it (it's one you mold yourself). But after remedial ortho, I do have a plastic retainer to wear at night for my full upper mouth. It's always a little tight when I put it on but by the time I walk from my bathroom to bed, it's fine.

It does seem to make my mouth a little dry, but that's also a side effect of some other meds I'm on. It was okay all summer but now that it's getting colder and drier, it seems to be worse again. I just put a bottle of water by my bed in case I wake up in the middle of the night, coughing from the dryness.

I've been using the Doctor's Night Guard for about 10 years and can't sleep without it. I used to have a custom made night guard but it was super expensive (I think around $300). The Doctor's brand costs about $20 at Walmart and I actually just purchased one today.

I love my night guard! I have one that my dentist made for me (expensive, but worth it) and I take it with me to my regular appointments. They do any adjustments to it at that time.

As for cleaning, I just brush it with my toothbrush under running water and put it in a glass of water with a denture tablet.

I have virtually no jaw pain and many fewer headaches since I've been using it.

I really do a number at night. Here's what my dentist told me. Most people spend their days stressed. Those who grind/clench get it all out at night and then they are happier in the day

The first few nights apparently I threw it across the room. I don't remember. I'm so used to it now, I can't sleep well without it. It has made a WORLD of difference.

DH has had one for about six years, maybe? It's been a while. He had ground his teeth so badly that he cracked a tooth, and the dentist recommended a guard. He didn't have any trouble sleeping with it. He couldn't find it the other night and tried to sleep without it and couldn't! He finally found it on the floor by his nightstand.

It will make an incredible difference in the way you sleep, how you feel when you wake up, and the number of headaches you have. It doesn't take long to get used to it. Definitely have your dentist make yours.

Best thing I did was get a bite guard.  I like it so much there are some nights when I can't wait to put it on.   I'm a clencher and not a grinder, and I was starting to have terrible TMJ issues and ear pain from all the clenching.  I didn't have any trouble adjusting to it at all, but then again, I like to sleep with socks.


Once I started using it, my TMJ issues disappeared immediately.  And I never forget to wear it because I find it so comfortable.

I had one from the dentist that was very tiny. It only spanned my front four teeth. I had it for 3 years. When I went to get a replacement, it was $500. I get the boil yourself brand but cut it down severely. It is still enough to prevent the grinding and headaches. These will last about 8 months.

Don't be scared.  It shouldn't hurt or be uncomfortable at all. I've worn a guard for many years and it's saved my teeth.

I can't sleep in socks, either, but I was able to get used to a mouth guard. For the first one, the dentist fit it to me, and it was very expensive.

Now I just pick up the kind football players use. You drop it in super hot water for a few seconds to soften it so you can shape it to your own mouth. It only costs a dollar or two. I use the youth size because my mouth is smaller.

Also, DD uses one, too. She fits hers to her bottom teeth, so I tried it that way instead of the top. It is more comfortable IMO, and it still works fine.

She chews through hers on a regular basis and just buys another one as needed. They are so inexpensive that it's not a big deal if you chew through them eventually. I don't chew through mine, but I do replace them from time to time, especially after I have had dental work that may affect the fit.