“I am not putting that think in my mouth’ is the common reaction when the dentists tell people that they need to wear a night guard because of their teeth grinding.
And it is an understandable reaction. Can you imagine how your sleeping partner will react when you show up with a big, chunky piece of plastic in your mouth? Not exactly a sexy look. But, not all night guards are made the same and high quality custom made mouth guards are far cry from their old, cheap clunky cousins.
Custom mouth guards are the Rolls Royce of mouth guards. They are made in specialized labs to fit your mouth and teeth to perfection. With a custom night guard, you can finally have a nice whole night sleep, without grinding teeth and clenching jaws, and without waking up your sleeping partner.
Who Needs a Mouth Guard?
Bruxism is a habitual grinding of teeth people do mostly at night. Many of us are not even aware that we are doing it and keep grinding away without any consequences. But, teeth grinding can cause many serious health issues if it is not addressed. Some people frequently wake up with severe headache, or with a painful jaw. Bruxism can cause painful and expensive teeth damage.
The most common causes of teeth grinding are teeth or jaws misalignment or stress. While your dentist and orthodontist can fix the dental problems and you can work on relieving your stress, it can take some time. The moment you know that you are grinding your teeth, you need a night guard. The longer your teeth are unprotected, the more damage they can sustain. The night guard can make the difference between keeping your lovely smile and having teeth enamel cracked, teeth worn out and jaws misaligned, not to mention headaches and painful jaws.
Why Custom Night Guard?
There are hundreds of different mouth guards on the market. So many Americans grind their teeth that the mouth guard industry is flourishing. One-size-fits-all cheap mouth guards are available in all pharmacies, health stores and even gas stations. Some of them are pretty bad, and some are made of good quality material and will provide you with temporary relief until you can get fitted with a custom guard. It is very likely that the off the counter guards will fit poorly, irritate your mouth and jaws and keep falling out of your mouth at night. And it is likely that you will get sick and tired of it and simply quit wearing it and keep grinding your teeth until there is nothing to grind.
If you really need to get the off the counter guard, have a look at our website for the review of the best commercial guards. We hope that the research we have done will help you find the guard that suits your needs. But, consider it a temporary solution, until you get what you really need – the custom mouth guard.
Give Your Dentist a Slip
Dentists are very happy to recommend a custom mouth guard the moment they diagnose you with bruxism. They will take the impression of your jaws and tell you to come back in a few weeks to collect your custom guard. The bill will be in the neighborhood between $400 and $1000. So, is your dentist going to make your custom guard himself? Of course not. He will send the impression of your teeth to a specialized lab and pay for it less than $100. So why are you paying $500 or more for something that costs less than $100? You are paying for the best kept secret your dentist would hate you to learn: you do not need him to get the custom guard.
Your dentist is not cheating you. He will get you a perfectly fitting mouth guard that will make a huge difference in your life. But, do you need him or her to get it? Not really. The same lab that is making the guards for your dentist will make it for you, for the same price, as long as you send them the impression of your teeth.
Night Guard Labs
There are several labs that are offering direct sale of custom made night guards. Each lab was created by a team of specialized professionals to meet the needs of dentists and now you as well.
The system is simple: the lab will send you a kit with a special material, which you will use to make the impression of your teeth. You can see how simple it is on our website. Once the lab receives your teeth impression, they will use the latest technology and the highest quality materials to make a custom mouth guard that will fit you perfectly.
If you thought that you were saving money by buying cheap, off the counter mouth guards for the temporary use, think again. Lab custom guards cost between $50 and $150 depending on the model.
What Are The Custom Guards Made of?
Custom night guards are manufactured from FDA-approved energy absorbing laminates such as ethyl vinyl acetate, to prevent allergic reaction. There are four general types of guards available: upper or lower, acrylic or soft. Acrylic Night Guard is actually semi-acrylic, a dual laminate with a hard acrylic shell on the outside and the softer plastic on the inside. This guard is made for only one thickness, and is suitable for people with heavy or moderate grinding or clinching problem.
Soft inside material that is closer to the teeth protects the teeth from cracking and chipping and for superior comfort. The outside of the guard is a hard, smooth acrylic similar to that of the teeth. It is less flexible and less durable than the soft guard.
When choosing among various guards available from the lab, the rule of thumb is to choose the guard for the upper or lower teeth, depending on which have the least wear, because those are sharper. Don’t worry, both sets of teeth will be protected.
Very heavy grinders should choose soft night guard, because it is more durable. Acrylic guard might not withstand the pressure of more than 200 lbs, which is the pressure your mouth is capable of.
Keep in mind that the lighter your grinding is, the thinner your mouth guard will be.
Care for your Night Guard
The best way to clean your night guard is with special guard cleaner, for example Ortho Clean. Soak your guard in the mix of cleaner and water, to clean it from plague, bacteria and other germs. Ortho Clean will also keep your guard smelling fresh. You might find this helpful: 7 Recommended Methods for Cleaning Your Mouthguard – Click to Enter…
Where Can You Buy Your Custom Night Guard?
The cheapest and fastest way to get your night guard is directly from the Lab. Check our reviews for the kind of guard that best fits your need, and place your order.
Most Labs offers 30 days guarantee and will send you the new kit if for some reason your custom made guard does not fit. Read their instructions very carefully before using the kit, look at the step by step photo instructions on our website, and you will end up with the most comfortable mouth guard available on the market.
Continue to Part 5 – Mouth Guard Controversy – There is some controversy about the usefulness of mouth guards.
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