I grind my teeth, and have been wearing a night guard (every night) for 40 years. I tried the Walmart kind--it was horrible. You definitely want a custom one. Is it worth it? Absolutely--I would pay $1,000, if necessary!

My father, my son and I both grind our teeth.

Do you think it is due to being tense?

Yes I have one. I don't grind my teeth however I have been clenching them and apparently that applied enough force that my 2 front teeth were getting loose.

The first one he made for me was very hard and a little tight. After wearing it for 2 months he decided to make another one for me which is much softer and easier to insert. I paid $200. for the mouth guard a year ago and I didn't have any trouble getting used to it. Unfortunately most dental insurance policies don't cover it. I wear it every night and now my front teeth are no longer loose.

I can't recommend making one yourself. My son did that. He was trying to stop snoring and he bought one of those mold it at home kits. It did seem to reduce his snoring. However when he went for his regular dental check up he also discovered that some of his teeth were loose. So he had his dentist make one for him.

Is there a diffence between clenching and grinding teeth?

Some may use the terms interchangeably. Clenching is simply squeezing your teeth together by keeping your jaw tightly shut. Bruxing means that your teeth are clenched but you are also applying some lateral movement and grinding, sometimes accompanied with a rather nasty sound. When we were kids we could hear my Mom grinding her teeth at night.

i remember when my son would grind his teeth in his sleep. After we removed milk from his diet, it went away in about 3 or 4 weeks. I was amazed.

The custom one is worth it. I've had a mouth guard for 3 or 4 years. Now, I've worn through it in places. Time for a new one I suppose.

Ron

I've had one for years and it's well worth the expense. Had I not gotten it, the dentist said I would eventually have all kinds of problems with my teeth. It took a bit of getting used to at first, but now I just pop it in at night as part of getting ready for bed.

Tooth grinders, have you ever tried taking calcium and magnesium (or dolomite) at bedtime? For years, I've read that these supplements can take care of the problem.

If you are grinding your teeth your dentist should be able to tell. My dentist told me I was even before I knew it. I went to Walmart and bought one of those athletic ones. You stick it in boiling water for a few minutes and then bite into it and it molds around your teeth. If my husband wakes me up to tell me I am grinding my teeth again. I put it in and go back to sleep. I dont do it all the time sometimes not for a year or more. I would never pay 300 dollars for one. I would try one of the athletic ones first and see if it works. Not one of those in the pharmacy department.

I would suggest not paying the dentist and order a custom teeth night guard dental lab direct from www.teethnightguard.com I ordered from this dental lab and absolutely love my custom dental guard that is the same one my dentists wanted $550.00 for!!! I bought from this online lab for only $54.99 and it helped my teeth grinding and clenching greatly.

No SPAM Joshua@gmail!

I'm a grinder and, like others, have been wearing a night guard for years. I wouldn't go to bed without it: it has saved my teeth. Yes, the custom made ones from the dentist are expensive but they do last for many years with minimal care. I bring mine with me to cleaning appointments and they clean it professionally for me. Otherwise, I just brush it daily after removing with a toothbrush and paste and keep it in its little container.

Sounds like the custom mouth guards are well worth the money to many (most?) people, but given that one from the drugstore is only $25, I would buy the cheap one. If it works, you're way ahead, if not, you order the custom one.