First off, I looked for a similar topic and couldn't find it, so please excuse me if this already exists.

Any teeth grinders out there? Would you recommend any particular brand or type of mouth guard?


thank you

9/19/2013 10:57:11 AM

i just got a cheap brand at the drug store. You drop it in hot water, then stick it in your mouth and bite down and hold for a while to create a mold of your teeth. Works pretty well and isn't too annoying.

[Edited on September 19, 2013 at 11:01 AM. Reason : (it's guards just the top teeth)]

9/19/2013 10:59:08 AM

Hello...Hi...dental hygienist here.

The ones Bullet is referring to will work fine. And you only ever need a MG for your top teeth. You wouldn't wear one for your top and bottom.

You can also visit your dentist and they can make an impression of your top teeth and custom make your MG. Most dentist offices are able to make them in house so it wouldn't take long.

Depending on how bad your bruxism is, you may have to replace the guard on occasion.

9/19/2013 11:11:21 AM

I have a custom one from the dentist. It's acrylic & goes on your bottom teeth. Check with your insurance, if you have it, bc they're not cheap.

9/19/2013 11:29:48 AM

paging punchmonk

9/19/2013 11:42:50 AM

my dentist recommends the one from UnderArmour. THey make one specifically for teeth grinding that is less bulky than the cheap ones you get... and it's still under 40 bucks.

9/19/2013 12:10:21 PM

thanks for the responses!!! All very helpful, also let me know if you guys have any tips for this as well (other than mouth guards)

thanks

9/19/2013 2:14:02 PM

Aren't the mouth guards from the dentist a couple hundred bucks?

9/19/2013 3:56:16 PM

yea, I am opting for the cheap kind

9/19/2013 4:07:10 PM

Quote :

"cheap brand at the drug store. You drop it in hot water, then stick it in your mouth and bite down and hold for a while to create a mold of your teeth. Works pretty well and isn't too annoying."

9/19/2013 5:25:46 PM

always fell out of my mouth

9/19/2013 10:55:12 PM

Re: UnderArmour

Quote :

"[1] Can UAPM be used to treat TMJ Disorder or used as an anti bruxing “grinding” appliance? Although some doctors have prescribed UAPM with success in patients suffering from TMJD, this appliance is not recommended for the treatment of TMJD or patients with this disorder. Nor is it recommended as an anti-bruxing device."

9/20/2013 12:08:38 AM

my dentist also recommended taking a muscle relaxer at night to reduce the grinding, but i didn't want to make a habit of that.

[Edited on September 20, 2013 at 11:26 AM. Reason : ]

9/20/2013 11:26:10 AM

The custom one from the dentist is extremely difficult to pull out of your mouth, even when awake. I guess that's the plus to paying so much for it. It's definitely not going to fall out of your mouth or move out of place.

9/20/2013 11:52:18 AM

^^^you wouldn't use the sports mouthpieces for it. they have specific mouthpieces for bruxism.
http://www.katydentistcare.com/blog/bruxism-under-armour-and-what-you-need-to-know/

9/22/2013 10:22:04 AM

I would take a flexiril every night for two weeks when my TMJ flared up, and then it would be good for 6 months or so.

9/22/2013 10:28:45 AM

oh you have TMJ, what do you do for it? just the flexiril?

9/22/2013 1:47:17 PM

The dentist recommended this ridiculously expensive mouth guard that only fit the front teeth to keep me from clenching on the back teeth. When I clenched on the back teeth it would cause my temporal? muscles to flex and spasm causing severe headaches. But I started with the flexiril for two weeks and I stopped chewing gum. I also got a new pillow that supports my neck differently. At first I was getting the muscle relaxers about twice a year but I haven't had to use them now for about 2 years I guess. If I notice that I have woken up with a head ache more than two days in a row I will rearrange my pillows and try not to eat a lot of big or chewy foods for a couple days.

9/22/2013 2:47:26 PM

Quote :

"^^^you wouldn't use the sports mouthpieces for it. they have specific mouthpieces for bruxism. "

Yea, I saw that site, but I wish they'd say more about it than "yea, we do that."

9/22/2013 5:09:09 PM

I have an acrylic mouthguard from the dentist. Without insurance, it would have been $700 or something. I think I paid $150.

I like it! I'm a grinder.

9/25/2013 1:58:27 PM

surprisingly the cheap drug store one actually worked pretty well

9/25/2013 2:08:19 PM

Quote :

"oh you have TMJ"

FYI, the appropriate term is ADD.

Saying you have TMJ is like saying you have knee. ADD, in this case, is Anterior Disk Displacement of the temporomandibular joint.

elise, I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Yount at the raleigh oral-facial pain specialist. He's the only board certified specialist who deals with ADD in Raleigh. He fixed me and it cost me a fraction of what other dentists had quoted and said. He fixed me and gave me a permament solution to manage and relieve my TMJ disorder. He is possibly the most honest doctor I've ever met. He tries to find ways to save you money and even though he's not in-network with any ins provider, his costs are low and I was able to get BCBSNC to cover my costs as if he was an in-network provider (because BCBSNC has no in-network board certified oral-facial pain specialists, they are obligated to provide me compensation at the same rate as if he was in-network).

http://raleighfacialpain.com/home

Clenching is what aggrivated and deteriorated my disk. Dr. Yount easily identified this issue and bad habit of mine while other dentists failed to identify the root cause of my ear aches and jaw/tooh discomfort. The orthotic Dr. Yount custom makes is a life changer. Since acquiring it (along with changing my lifestyle to manage and mitigate stress), I've been able to nearly eliminate the problem. I say nearly, because a damaged disk is a damaged disk, but at least I've gained back all my function and no longer suffer discomfort. However, I can feel how "unsmooth" my disk is as I open/close my jaw. It doesn't bother me the slightest. I don't want to leave anyone with the misconception that everything heals back 100%. Of course YMMV


[Edited on September 26, 2013 at 6:10 AM. Reason : .]

9/26/2013 5:56:59 AM

I haven't had an issue for about 2 years but if it comes up again I will check him out.

9/26/2013 8:47:22 AM

^^Thank you so much for the info!

9/26/2013 9:20:00 AM

No Problem

9/26/2013 4:34:04 PM