I totally get where you're coming from. When I got my custom guard, I kept waking up and running my tongue over my teeth, convinced something had shifted overnight. I even started comparing old selfies just to check if my smile looked different. It’s wild how much your brain can focus on those tiny details when you’re anxious about it.
Honestly, that first week was rough for me too. I kept thinking, “What if this thing is making it worse?” My dentist swore it wouldn’t move my teeth, but it felt so snug that I couldn’t help but worry. After a while, though, I realized it was just my jaw adjusting to having something new in there. The weird feeling faded, and now it’s just part of my bedtime routine.
The price still stings a bit, but I guess if it saves me from more dental work down the line, maybe it’s worth it. You’re definitely not alone in obsessing over every little change—pretty sure most of us have been there at some point.
I totally get the anxiety about things shifting, but honestly, I’m still not convinced custom guards are always better. I went with a store-bought one first because the dentist price was wild, and it actually fit okay after a few tries. Sure, it’s not as fancy, but it did the job—my jaw pain eased up and I slept better. I do worry if I’m missing out on some “perfect fit” benefits, but for now, the cheaper option hasn’t messed up my teeth or anything. Maybe it depends on how bad you grind? I dunno... sometimes I wonder if dentists just push the custom ones because they’re pricier.
I totally get where you’re coming from—the price tag on those custom guards is no joke. I did the store-bought route for a while too, and honestly, it was “good enough” at first. But after a few months, mine started to feel bulky and I’d wake up with it halfway out of my mouth. Ended up caving for the custom one after my dentist showed me how my bite was shifting (yikes). Not saying everyone needs to go that route, but if you’re a hardcore grinder like me, the fit really does make a difference over time. Still, if your pain’s gone and your teeth are happy, why fix what isn’t broken?
I hear you on the cost—it’s a big jump from store-bought to custom. Here’s how I break it down with patients: if you’re just clenching now and then, those boil-and-bite guards can do the trick, at least for a while. But if you’re waking up with jaw soreness, headaches, or your teeth are shifting, it’s usually a sign the fit isn’t right and things might get worse. The custom ones are molded specifically to your bite, so they stay put and actually protect where you need it. That said, some people do fine for years on the cheapies... but if you start noticing changes in your bite or more pain, it’s worth rethinking.
When you say teeth shifting, do you mean like actually moving out of place, or just feeling a bit different in the morning? I’ve been using a store-bought guard for a few months now and I swear my bite feels off some days, but then it goes back to normal. Is that something to worry about, or am I just overthinking it?
I’m super cautious because I already had braces as a teenager and I really don’t want to mess up all that work. My dentist said store-bought was “fine for now,” but honestly, I’m anxious about waking up with sore teeth and headaches sometimes. Has anyone had their bite actually change from using a cheap guard too long? Or is it more just discomfort and not real movement?
Also, if you switch to a custom one after using the boil-and-bite kind for a while, does your bite go back to normal, or can it stay messed up? The price is stressing me out, but so is the idea of undoing years of orthodontics.
