I completely relate to your experience with boil-and-bite guards. They never quite fit right for me either, and I found myself waking up more often because of the discomfort. Switching to a custom guard was a game changer—took some patience at first, but now it's second nature. Glad you found relief too!
Haha, boil-and-bite guards...been there, done that, got the drool stains to prove it. I remember my first night with one—I followed the instructions step-by-step: boil water, dunk guard, bite down, and voilà...instant discomfort. Felt like I was chewing on a hockey puck all night. Kept waking up thinking I'd swallowed half of it or something.
Eventually caved and went for a custom guard too. Honestly, at first I thought I'd wasted money because it felt weirdly snug—like my teeth were being hugged by tiny plastic elves—but after a week or two, it was surprisingly comfy. Now it's just part of my bedtime routine: brush teeth, pop in guard, question life choices briefly, then sleep like a baby.
Ignoring grinding definitely wasn't an option for me though...my dentist scared me straight with horror stories about cracked teeth and jaw pain. Glad you found something that works too!
I can definitely relate to that awkward boil-and-bite experience. My daughter started grinding her teeth pretty badly last year, and we tried one of those off-the-shelf guards first. She hated it—said it felt like sleeping with a chunk of rubber in her mouth. Eventually, we invested in a custom one from the dentist, and after some initial grumbling (and a few nights of dramatic sighs...), she adjusted surprisingly well. Honestly, her sleep quality improved noticeably, and I'm relieved knowing we're protecting her teeth long-term.
I totally get the anxiety around those boil-and-bite guards. I tried one myself a couple years ago when my dentist first mentioned my teeth grinding. Honestly, it felt like I was trying to sleep with a hockey puck jammed in my mouth...not exactly restful. I ended up ditching it after a week or two because I figured it couldn't be that big of a deal.
But then, over time, I started noticing weird headaches and jaw soreness in the mornings. Eventually, my dentist convinced me to try a custom-made one. I was skeptical (and honestly pretty anxious about sleeping with something foreign again), but surprisingly it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd imagined. Took some getting used to, sure, but now I can't sleep without it. The headaches are gone, and my jaw feels way less tense in the morning.
Ignoring grinding seems harmless at first, but from what I've learned, it can really mess up your teeth long-term. Better safe than sorry, I guess...
"Honestly, it felt like I was trying to sleep with a hockey puck jammed in my mouth...not exactly restful."
Haha, that's exactly how I felt with those boil-and-bite things. They're bulky and awkward, and honestly, they don't always fit right, which can actually make grinding worse. Ignoring grinding might seem harmless at first, but trust me, I've seen patients with cracked teeth or worn enamel from years of unchecked grinding—definitely not fun (or cheap) to fix later. Custom guards are pricier upfront, but they're worth it long-term...just my two cents.
