Does anyone else refuse to wear a night guard?

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
I just had another (brand new) crown fall out while I was flossing this morning. My mouth is constantly under construction, and something is always cracking, splitting or falling out. x( My dentist has been telling me for years that if I just wear my night guard, I can avoid most of this very costly and time-consuming dental work.

85% of the population grinds their teeth at night according to my dentist, but I guess I either grind harder or just have more delicate teeth, because I NEED to wear my night guard. Why can't I get myself to wear it???

Does anyone else have this problem? Is anyone good about wearing it? Any tips you can share?

Thanks!

Nancy
 
Nancy,
I wear my night guard every night even when I take a nap. I would have broken teeth and crowns galore if I did not. I actually feel weird without it when I forget it now and then. Does it fit properly? I hardly notice it anymore. I have been wearing one for about 7 years. Maybe talk to your dentist about it and maybe they can give you some tips.:)

Susan
 
Nancy--
I wore one for quite awhile and then stopped-- because it seemed like my muscles adjusted and I stopped grinding my teeth. (So I wore one circa 1992...for about a year, pretty consistently...) I felt like it was a muscle memory thing -- I eventually got to recognize the feeling of gritting and when I felt it coming back, I'd wear the splint.

But I put in time with it for awhile.

I know what you mean though about not wanting to. It's feels weird and unnatural.....
-Barb
:)
 
Susan, is yours soft or hard? I have an old, soft one that doesn't fit now, and the dentist says the new ones are hard. Just curious.
Nancy
ETA: Thanks for saying you don't notice it anymore. I'm going to get a new one that fits and try it again. I'm more determined now than ever.
 
Nancy,

I don't wear mine all the time, either. I have had it for about 5 years and wore it for several weeks when I first got it. I thought I was over that bruxism thing, but occasionally I notice problems again and have been told that I am starting to get tiny cracks in my teeth, with bruxism most likely the cause. I still have difficulty making myself put the thing on at night. Not sure why other than I just don't want to take the time to do it, and it's kind of yucky when I take it out in the morning so I have to clean it out with toothpaste and a toothbrush.

MissL
 
Nancy--
Definitely I don't think you have to wear it daily forever, but maybe for awhile to break the muscle spasms. Also, similar to what MissL said--I used to soak mine when I wasn't wearing it in mouthwash -- which helped it taste a whole lot better when I put it in.

I had a hard plastic one, not soft.

I hate, absolutely hate, going to the dentist, even though my dentist is a lovely woman, her office looks like a page out of the Pottery Barn catalog and her staff is great. But I just don't like dental work.x(

Good luck!!!!
Barb
:) :)
 
I know, MissL. I find that it never tastes clean enough, even when I clean it thoroughly. It always tastes like there's some bacteria left on it. Maybe if there was a way to clean it so that it always tasted minty and fresh, I might be more likely to wear it. Has anyone tried soaking it during the day in anything? I'm so sensitive to taste, that may be a big part of my problem.

Nancy
 
Thanks, Barb. I don't mind the dental work, just the cost of it and the time involved. But MUCH more importantly, I really need to try to hold on to what I have. At this point, I could start breaking my implants. That really scares me! :eek:

Thanks SO MUCH for the encouragement. I really need to turn over a new leaf.

Mouthwash. Of course. Why didn't I think of that??? The mouthwash doesn't erode the plastic at all? I'm guessing the new hard ones are tougher than my old soft one.
Nancy
 
Hi Nancy! I just had a night mouth guard made and I'm still afraid to use it. its a hard, plastic one, and it fits like a glove... but it feels funny, just having this plastic thing in my mouth. We should both try to use ours and check in with eachother! Maybe that'll push us to use it. I know i grind my teeth, even when I nap, so I defintely need to start using it too. -Tina
 
Nancy--if anything with my mouthguard, the mouthwash helped it stay more pliable--i.e. not dry up and shrink in size. I remember that my dentist told me types of mouthwashes that were good to use at that time, so maybe ask yours about this. I think I used Plax or something with a softening agent in it.

I have crowns, too. I know that feeling of needing to hold onto your teeth. You definitely don't want to break your implants.

-Barb:)
 
Tina, don't you wish they would make them smaller??? x( They're so darn big. I love your idea of a night guard check-in! :D I'm going to have a new one made ASAP and we can start our check-in. ;) I spent between $10,000 - $15,000 in the last year and a half on dental work, including implants and stuff. It's just crazy. Let's do it!!
Nancy
 
Barb- What a perfect idea. Soaking it in mouthwash during the day. I feel like a dope for not asking my dentist about it sooner. Thank you so much! :D
Nancy
 
Nancy,
mine is hard. I have never had a soft one. It is not even that big. It just fits right underneath the upper teeth. Did you have your professionally fitted by a dentist? I know that sell that al Walmart and those kinds of places.

Susan
 
Susan, mine was made by a dentist when they used to make them soft. They all look big to me. I think they could be smaller and still work effectively. But I'm going to try to use whatever my dentist gives me.
Nancy
 
After wearing braces for ten years and three surgeries on my mouth, when the dentist says, "wear the night guard," I do it.

I use to soak it in hydrogen peroxide every day, but now I just brush it with my toothbrush after I'm done brushing my teeth.

Good luck!

Susan L.G.
 
Okay, ladies, I just got back from the dentist (to have the crown reglued). She took the impression for the night guard right then and there, (even though it was an emergency appointment. Love her.)

She said ABSOLUTELY NO SOAKING OF ANY KIND! :eek: :-( x( Not even mouthwash. She said wash with warm water and lots of soap, and air dry. That's it. Bummer. :-(
Nancy

ETA: When I go to pick it up, I'm going to find out what the danger is. If it means the thing may only last 2 years instead of 4 years, I may just soak it anyway. The priority for me is to wear the darn thing. How long it lasts is secondary.
 
Nancy--that's a bummer about the no-soaking rule. I wonder why that is. Maybe my model of mouthguard circa 1992 was soak-friendly and the new ones are not?

It's great she could get you in fast though. Great idea to ask her and see what the reason is. The mouthwash made it so I could put it in my mouth and feel like "I can do this."

Maybe if the no-soaking rule is necessary, before you put it in your mouth, you could just dip it in mouthwash and shake off the excess if it's somehow damaging to the plastic?
-Barb
:)
 
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