Finally stopped my teeth from wiggling - here’s what worked for me

the drooling is real some nights. I’ll take that over waking up with sore teeth or headaches, though.

That drooling thing caught me off guard at first too - felt like I was back in grade school. I’ve noticed the bulkier guards last longer for me, but they’re not exactly subtle if you share a bed… My dentist actually suggested having two guards and alternating them each night to let one “bounce back,” so to speak. It’s helped a bit with that chewed-up look, though I still end up replacing them yearly. The jaw pain relief makes it worth the hassle, even if I grumble about it sometimes.

My kid just started wearing a night guard for grinding, and the drooling was honestly hilarious at first - she kept waking up thinking she’d spilled water on her pillow. I’m curious, does anyone notice if certain materials or brands make the drooling worse? Also, if you’re alternating guards, do you clean them differently? I’ve been rinsing with mouthwash but not sure if that’s enough.

I’m curious, does anyone notice if certain materials or brands make the drooling worse?

My son actually drooled *less* when we switched from a bulky, over-the-counter guard to a thinner one from the dentist. I know some folks say the softer ones are comfier, but in our case, the thicker material just made him drool more. Also, about cleaning - mouthwash left a weird taste for us, so we started using mild soap and a toothbrush. I kinda wonder if mouthwash might break down the plastic faster, but maybe that’s just me being paranoid.

I kinda wonder if mouthwash might break down the plastic faster, but maybe that’s just me being paranoid.

That’s actually crossed my mind too. The dentist suggested avoiding anything too harsh, but it’s tricky figuring out what “too harsh” really means for these materials. Did you notice any changes in the guard itself after using mouthwash for a while? My kid’s old guard got a bit cloudy after a few weeks, but I never knew if that was from cleaning or just normal wear.

I get nervous about this stuff too, honestly. The first time I tried using mouthwash on my night guard, I was convinced it’d start melting or something. It didn’t, but after a couple weeks I noticed it got kind of hazy and weirdly stiff? Maybe that’s just normal, but now I mostly just use water and a soft toothbrush. Every time I try something new, I’m scared I’ll ruin it and have to pay for another one...