I've been grinding my teeth at night for a while now, and finally decided to try one of those drugstore night guards. Um, it's okay-ish but feels kinda bulky and uncomfortable. Wondering if anyone's tried the custom-made ones from the dentist—is it worth the extra cash?
I've tried both the drugstore ones and the dentist-made night guards, and honestly, the difference was pretty noticeable for me. The custom one fit way better—no bulky feeling or awkwardness when trying to sleep. It was thinner too, so I didn't feel like I had a hockey puck in my mouth all night, lol.
But yeah, they're pricey... insurance covered part of mine, but it still wasn't cheap. Have you checked if your dental insurance covers any of the cost? Also curious—do you find that the store-bought guard actually helps with your grinding symptoms (like headaches or jaw soreness), or is it just uncomfortable without much benefit?
"It was thinner too, so I didn't feel like I had a hockey puck in my mouth all night, lol."
Haha, totally relate to the hockey puck feeling! My daughter tried a store-bought guard first, and while it did help a bit with her jaw soreness, she complained about it being bulky and uncomfortable. We eventually went for the custom one from the dentist—definitely pricey, but she's sleeping better and waking up without headaches now. Did your insurance cover a decent chunk of yours? Ours only covered a small portion, unfortunately...
We went the dentist route too, but honestly, I kind of regret it. Yeah, the custom one fits better, no doubt about that, but the cost was really steep for something my son ended up chewing through in less than a year. Insurance barely made a dent, and replacing it was just not realistic at that price. We switched back to a higher-quality store-bought option—one of those moldable boil-and-bite ones—and it's actually been pretty good. Took some trial and error to find one he liked, but once we did, he stopped complaining about the bulkiness. Not saying custom ones aren't worth it for some folks, but I think the higher-end drugstore ones are underrated, especially if your kid tends to go through them quickly...
Took some trial and error to find one he liked, but once we did, he stopped complaining about the bulkiness. Not saying custom ones aren't worth it for some folks, but I think the higher-end drugst...
I totally get what you're saying about the custom ones being pricey. My dentist recommended one a couple years back, and I bit the bullet (pun intended, haha) and got it. It definitely felt less bulky and more comfortable than the drugstore one I'd tried before, but honestly, I still found myself waking up with it on my pillow half the time. Eventually, I switched to a boil-and-bite type too, and it's been decent enough for me. Guess it really depends on your comfort level and budget...
