I swear, the first time I tried to sleep with a night guard, I thought maybe I was having an allergic reaction or something. My mouth just would not stop watering and it felt like I had a giant Lego wedged in there. Took me a week before I could go more than an hour without yanking it out in frustration.
I’ve gone through both the soft kind (which, yeah, lasted about as long as a pack of gum) and the hard acrylic ones. Those are sturdier, but man, they feel like something you’d find in a toolbox. My dentist said it’s either that or risk grinding my teeth down to nubs, so... guess I’ll stick with the plastic chunk for now.
One thing I noticed—if I put it in right before bed instead of wearing it while watching TV or reading, my mouth drools less? No clue why. Maybe my brain just accepts its fate faster if I’m half asleep. Still, every now and then I wake up and the guard’s nowhere to be found, which is always a fun little scavenger hunt at 3am.
I’m right there with you on the drool thing—first night with mine, I legit woke up thinking I’d ruined my pillow. It’s like my mouth just freaks out at the unfamiliar plastic. I also noticed that if I put it in while I’m distracted, I can’t stop fussing with it, but if I wait until I’m half asleep, it’s way less annoying. Still weird waking up and finding it under the bed sometimes… guess my subconscious isn’t totally on board yet.
Still weird waking up and finding it under the bed sometimes… guess my subconscious isn’t totally on board yet.
This is exactly me—half the time I wake up, it’s gone missing, and I’m instantly paranoid I swallowed it or something. Honestly, I can’t get used to the plastic either. Feels like my whole mouth is on high alert. I keep wondering if it’s even worth it—like, is all this drool and discomfort actually protecting my teeth? Or are these things just a weird modern torture device? Maybe after a few more weeks I’ll stop feeling like I’m chewing on a mouthful of Tupperware, but right now... not convinced.
Honestly, I can’t get used to the plastic either. Feels like my whole mouth is on high alert.
Totally get that. I used to wake up convinced I’d choked on mine, or find it wedged behind the pillow. It’s awkward, but honestly, my teeth started feeling less sensitive after a couple months. The drool and weirdness do mellow out—hang in there.
The drool and weirdness do mellow out—hang in there.
I wish I could say it mellowed out for me, but after a year, I still feel like I’m trying to sleep with a flip-flop in my mouth. Maybe it’s just my stubborn gums, but even the “custom” one feels like a hockey puck. At this point, I’d rather risk a little tooth drama than wake up searching for plastic under my dog. Anyone else just give up and accept the grind?
