I can definitely relate to this. My dentist once joked that my mouthguard looked like I'd been wrestling bears in my sleep... not exactly reassuring! But seriously, uneven wear can also mean you're clenching more on one side due to stress or even posture issues. I noticed mine wore down faster during particularly stressful periods at work. Might be worth keeping an eye on your stress levels too, just in case it's contributing.
Mine usually lasts me around 1-2 years, but now you've got me wondering if that's normal or if I'm secretly wrestling bears too, haha. Seriously though, good point about stress—I've definitely noticed mine wearing down quicker during crazy busy times. Out of curiosity, has anyone else noticed certain sleeping positions affecting mouthguard wear? I swear when I sleep on my side, especially my left, the guard seems to take more of a beating. Maybe posture does play a bigger role than I thought...
Also, do you ever find yourself clenching more after caffeine or certain foods? Coffee seems to make me tense up at night (even hours later), so I've been trying to cut back. Easier said than done though.
You're definitely not alone—1-2 years is actually pretty common, especially if you're dealing with stress or caffeine. I've had patients mention the side-sleeping thing too; it makes sense since your jaw alignment shifts slightly depending on posture. And yeah, coffee can sneakily ramp up clenching...cutting back is tough, but even reducing a little can help. You're doing great noticing these patterns though—being aware is half the battle. Hang in there!
"coffee can sneakily ramp up clenching...cutting back is tough, but even reducing a little can help."
Totally agree with this. I used to go through mouthguards every year or so, and it drove me nuts because they're not exactly cheap. But once I started cutting down on caffeine (just switched to half-decaf, nothing drastic), I noticed a huge difference. Now my guards last closer to two years, sometimes even longer. Small changes really do add up over time...worth giving it a shot if you haven't already.
Same here—I never even realized coffee was making me clench more until my dentist casually mentioned it. Thought he was just trying to ruin my mornings, ha. Cut back from three cups to just one strong one a day and noticed way less jaw tension. Mouthguard's definitely lasting longer now...though I still manage to chew through them eventually. Guess I'm just an overachiever like that.
