Dental Device to stop Grinding/Clenching Teeth

[dpwatson]

A couple years ago I read an article (but forgot to cut it out) in The Daily Sun about a dentist in The Villages who makes a custom fitted device that stops patients from grinding/clenching their teeth.

Does any one have this dentist's name and phone number??

Thanks

[NotGolfer]

If you want to save money you can get a device (it's similar to what athletes wear) at the drugstore. Take it home and follow the directions on the package for helping it form to your mouth. My dentist up north told me about this years ago...it works!!!

[getdul981]

My wife had one of the custom made devices made several years ago. It wore out after a few years. She now uses the cheaper things from Wal-mart and says they work just fine. She has also tried the type that need to be heated in boiling water to soften and then put in your mouth to form them. She claims the even cheaper ones work just as well.

[Madelaine Amee]

A couple years ago I read an article (but forgot to cut it out) in The Daily Sun about a dentist in The Villages who makes a custom fitted device that stops patients from grinding/clenching their teeth. Does any one have this dentist's name and phone number?? Thanks

I have a custom made dental device, have had it about two years. It cost me $600 and it had to go back to the lab where it was made three times for readjustment. Even though it was custom made for my mouth it took me three to four months to be able to sleep through the night with it in place.

Now, after you get over the shock of me paying $600 for a custom mouth guard, let me tell you that I have (over the years) had major expensive dental work which was covered under my employee health plan. When I was in my late 20s I had to have an almost complete reconstruction of my mouth which was done at Tufts, a major north eastern dental hospital. Due to a lifetime of grinding (probably due to stress) I had already started to crack and break down the gold caps in the upper front of my mouth. If I had to have this work redone it would cost me upwards of $25,000 so the cost of a mouth guard was insignificant compared to what I was facing.

I am sure I am going to get many replies telling me I was "HAD" for paying this much money for something I could have got at Walmart - so be it. Oh, by the way, the mouth guard was made by one of the local dentists who is always recommended on here, and not by the really expensive one either!

[redwitch]

I'd loved to have used the cheaper version when I was grinding, but my mouth was too small for the OTC mouthguards. But my dentist did recommend I try them before paying to have one custom fit. So, I paid (well, my insurance paid) over $1,000 for a custom-made mouth guard many moons ago.

So, go for the Wal-Mart version unless you have a special need for a custom fit. If not, get one from the dentist. You don't necessarily need to go to the dentist that advertised them -- any decent dentist should be able to make you one.

[dpwatson]

Thank you all for responding. I have tried custom fit athletic tray as well as WalMart athletic type mouth guards. Apparently these are too soft, as I must clench so hard that I wear through them and I wake with aching jaws and head.

My current dentist suggested I cut off the back end of the guard so as to only cover the front 6 teeth so that my back teeth do not touch and encourage clenching. This has not helped.

I need something that will keep my teeth apart.

[MSNPA]

This is why I love reading TOTV! You can learn just about anything. I often wake up with my teeth clenched together. It is a terrible feeling. I get so many headaches and neck aches I often wonder if these are due to the teeth clenching. I think I will try a cheaper dental guard to see if it makes a difference. Thanks everyone.

[Jerseygirl08]

I have had them made in a lab ($400) and bit right through them. I use one from Wal-Mart, not the kind you have to boil to mold - I think it wass $29.99 for two. The have fairly thick pads that fit between your upper/lower molars and stay in place while sleeping. I WILL NEVER PAY for a lab to make one for me, never. Love the one I use, from Wal-Mart.

[tommy steam]

If that mouth guard works for you, IMO, it's worth every penny you paid for it.

[rayschic]

I have a custom made dental device, have had it about two years. It cost me $600 and it had to go back to the lab where it was made three times for readjustment. Even though it was custom made for my mouth it took me three to four months to be able to sleep through the night with it in place.

Now, after you get over the shock of me paying $600 for a custom mouth guard, let me tell you that I have (over the years) had major expensive dental work which was covered under my employee health plan. When I was in my late 20s I had to have an almost complete reconstruction of my mouth which was done at Tufts, a major north eastern dental hospital. Due to a lifetime of grinding (probably due to stress) I had already started to crack and break down the gold caps in the upper front of my mouth. If I had to have this work redone it would cost me upwards of $25,000 so the cost of a mouth guard was insignificant compared to what I was facing.

I am sure I am going to get many replies telling me I was "HAD" for paying this much money for something I could have got at Walmart - so be it. Oh, by the way, the mouth guard was made by one of the local dentists who is always recommended on here, and not by the really expensive one either!


Here's a link to an article that you may find interesting. Basically, teeth grinding is usually caused by stress,so you need to minimize your stress level. Easier said than done. The article recommends several things such as deep breathing exercises, warm bath, massages. Can't hurt, IMHO. I'm sure there are many more articles on the web with suggestions of how to stop or minimize teeth grinding. Good luck.
Alternatives To Mouth Guards | LIVESTRONG.COM (http://www.livestrong.com/article/295428-alternatives-to-mouth-guards/)