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Teeth grinding guard

(34 Posts)
Chewbacca Tue 11-Dec-18 13:06:07

Just had a dreaded visit to my dentist, following recurring toothache. X rays and checks can find nothing that can be causing the pain, i.e. no cavities etc. Dentist said that he can see that Ive been grinding my teeth a lot and that's causing enamel erosion and extra wear and tear on existing crowns and fillings. He's taken an impression of my teeth today and is having a dental guard that I must wear at night, which is supposed to ease the damage of night time teeth grinding.
I'm not looking forward to this! I have enough trouble sleeping properly at night as it is and wonder if having a guard in my mouth all night will be uncomfortable. Has anyone else had one of these? How did you get on with it a and did it help?
Tia

Kittye Wed 12-Dec-18 16:33:48

My dentist told me the same as maryeliza dentist. It was cheaper to go private than NHS. On the NHS mine would have cost £250+ private cost £120. Took me a while to get used to wearing it.

Chewbacca Wed 12-Dec-18 12:14:23

Mine was a private dentist appointment so I think Maryeliza is right; sometimes it's cheaper than NHS. And if it's custom made, to your exact dental impression, in theory it should be a decent fit. she said hopefully.

maryeliza54 Wed 12-Dec-18 11:36:41

I don’t understand that £1000- either it’s a mistake or the dentist was on the fiddle

annodomini Wed 12-Dec-18 11:17:04

I am a grinder and am sure that's the reason for my headaches. So I will ask my dentist next time I see him. But £1000 quid ? I'd have to put up with the headaches ?

Teacheranne Wed 12-Dec-18 10:30:44

I started off buying a cheap one from A*** but struggled to get a good fit and they ended up falling out during the night! My dentist advised me that I could have one on the NHS but that they were in the top price band ie over £250 so a private fitting at £100 was better value. I think it was well worth it to get a good tight fit that still works even after a tooth extraction. For me, it solved the problem of toothache and erosion caused by grinding my teeth and helped me sleep better.

maryeliza54 Wed 12-Dec-18 10:24:50

Re prices- a custom made mouth guard ( which imo is much the best) is one of those odd situations where going privately is cheaper than NHS.Thats because under NHS Bands, anything made in a lab is Band 3 so the patient ( unless getting free care) would have to pay the Band 3 contribution of just under £260. The going rate privately with some examples here is aroun £80-£100

Chewbacca Wed 12-Dec-18 10:19:19

Thanks for posting the photo Izabella, that's actually very helpful. They don't look to heavy and cumbersome at all.

Chewbacca Wed 12-Dec-18 10:17:11

Just phoned the dentist and it will be £80.00. It's tailor made to my dental impression so should be a perfect fit. It's a lot of money but if it works should be worth it.

Izabella Wed 12-Dec-18 09:59:32

My goodness I cannot believe these prices. I just looked on A*** and there are some soft guards that look amazingly similar to mine. Obviously they will not be made from a personal impression of your own teeth but at around £12 they seem a sensible starting point. Whatever you decide just make sure they do not rub.

EllanVannin Wed 12-Dec-18 09:51:37

My brother as a toddler used to grind his teeth and my mum gave him a " EE " powder thinking he had worms or something. It got on her nerves hahahaha.

Izabella Wed 12-Dec-18 09:51:00

I just wear one for the upper teeth maryeliza54, but one is slightly more robust than the other and I use this for biking (the underneath one in the pic) The case came with the guard.

dragonfly46 Wed 12-Dec-18 09:50:02

I was told I needed one but it would cost over £250 so I refused. It seemed a lot of money and I was not sure I would wear it. Maybe I should go back now though.

maryeliza54 Wed 12-Dec-18 09:42:53

Iz I like your red container. Do you have a top and bottom one then?

Izabella Wed 12-Dec-18 09:24:48

Chewbacca a pic of mine just to reassure you they are light and comfortable. I have two as they are not expensive and it takes a while for replacements to be made. I also wear one when mountain biking to afford a degree of protection to my implants. I came off over a year ago now and chipped some teeth. I also fractured my wrist and some bones in my hand, but now all in the past.

harrigran Wed 12-Dec-18 09:23:50

DH paid £50 I believe, but it was a few years ago.
A famous online warehouse sell basic ones for a few pounds.

Teacheranne Wed 12-Dec-18 02:27:58

I am wearing mine right now! It cost me £100 privately just last year. It is made of a rubbery material, like the guards fugby players wear. It fits snugly around my teeth and does not move all night. I clean it every day with toothpaste and also freshen it up in steradent every now and again.

You should be fine.

Bigred18 Wed 12-Dec-18 01:42:04

I've had one for years - jaw clenching, sore tm joint leading to earache and face ache. Sometimes it's been hard to lift my head from the pillow. Ive had so many cracked teeth. Paid about $350 in Oz - dentists are private here.

maryeliza54 Tue 11-Dec-18 23:07:56

Honestly you couldn’t swallow it - it fits snugly and couldn’t dislodge

HootyMcOwlface Tue 11-Dec-18 22:02:53

I had one years ago, as my jaw is slightly misaligned, but stopped wearing it as it made my mouth water a lot which I didn’t like. It had metal clips on it and was a bit awkward to get on. Sounds like they are better now.

Nanabilly Tue 11-Dec-18 21:53:13

If the dentist recommend s a guard then get one either custom made or off the peg . I was told I needed one year's ago as I'm a teeth grinder and he said he could see signs of cracking and wear . I refused as I was worried about swallowing it in my sleep. Since November I have 3 teeth crumbling away .

Chewbacca Tue 11-Dec-18 19:13:10

Oh that's not so bad maryeliza; better than a grand anyway! And cheaper than a set of dentures!

maryeliza54 Tue 11-Dec-18 19:10:48

I wear one- paid £85 ( private) 3 years age. I hate putting it in for some reason but then completely forget about it - no problems at all

Chewbacca Tue 11-Dec-18 18:19:51

No auntieflo, but to be fair, I was so desperate to get out of there, I didn't hang around long enough to ask how much it would cost. I've been with my dentist for 40 years and I'm kind of hoping that he would have given me a heads up if it was going to be very expensive. Rather than wait until next week, I'll call him tomorrow and ask. Please, please, don't let it be £1000

Auntieflo Tue 11-Dec-18 16:57:56

Oh Chewbacca, didn’t your dentist give you an eatimate of cost?
I am beginning to think that I may need a gusrd at night.

Chewbacca Tue 11-Dec-18 16:52:28

£1000 annsixty? shock Dear God, I hope not. feeling faint.