To think night mouthguards are extortionate - are there safe cheaper alternatives?

[myotheraccountsa]

Posting here for traction. Just been quoted £500 by dentist for a night time mouthguard becauae I clench & grind my teeth really badly. 6-8 weeks to wait for it too, all the while still getting headaches and jaw ache.

I did look on Amazon but there are so many unregulated products out there and I'm scared of choking in my sleep or ppisoning myself with plastic chemicals.

Does anyone actually use a safe, well fitted alternative that doesn't cost hundreds?

It's definitely worth shopping around, I just picked up one from my dentist for 275 about 2 weeks after fitting.. That's still pricey and I wish I had shopped around for alternatives, but not as bad as you've been quoted.

I'm afraid I was about to suggest Amazon

I got one from there

I must admit, it hadn't occurred to me that I might poison myself!

What I will say is, don't spend too much money until you find out how you feel with the mouthguard in. In that regard, it's worth getting something cheap from Amazon to see how you feel.

I'm a terrible sleeper - had insomnia since I was a teenager basically. And I find it even harder to sleep with the mouthguard in.

The grinding tends to come and go. It is very bad and some mornings I've woken up with my jaw so swollen, I actually can't put food in my mouth. Though some might say that's not necessarily a bad thing! 😂

I ended up having a Botox injection and the man who did it was very good and taught me through the simple manoeuvre of where I keep my tongue! Like literally the location of it in my head.

I'm hoping I'll never have to have that Botox injection again. Even my NHS dentist said to me that that was the only way though. I think quite a few people have it once and if they work on retraining the movements, it does help

Wish you the best with it. I do know some people are very happy with the mouthguards that's been custom-made for them at the dentist.

DH just gets the moulds and does them himself with a saucepan of hot water. He’s been doing this for a few years and his teeth are now fine so they’re obviously working.

I can’t adjust to having a mouth guard in, I had to use one for a teeth whitening program for three weeks and every morning I woke with a tense, sore jaw and a headache as I was seemingly clenching my jaw overnight. The Botox thing is interesting, DH sleeps like the dead anyway so is fine with a mouthguard but will file that away for the future!

I got one from the dentist, but 3 months in and I’m already biting holes in it. Will have to start browsing for cheaper back ups..

Oh yes, full credit to my dentist who warned me about that possibility as well.

There was a private one down the road that I could've gone to and got this done, but he did express misgivings about it and said the money would be better on a Botox injection, and although I was horrified, he was right that one will work for some people

Having said that, I have definitely done it again since the Botox has worn off but I don't know how often someone might have to have a mouthguard replaced

Having the one Botox injection, scared me but I suppose I'd have to do it again if I was in pain. Like codeine levels of pain.

i also had Botox instead of getting a mouth guard - game changer

Mine was £300 from my dentist - lost my last one during house move 🙈

Seriously considering Botox for my bruxism. My teeth are ruined and I have permanent jaw pain

The off-the-shelf ones are cheap but don't protect your teeth properly. But you should be able to get a made-to-measure for about £200 if you shop around dentists.

See if they'll refer you to a local dental hospital. Better quality splint and free.

I got the custom one from the dentist, then one day I went on a trip and forgot to bring it, so I ordered one from Amazon as a stopgap. That was 6 months ago and I haven't gone back to the custom one because the Amazon one is more comfortable.

Do you know what make it is?

That is really expensive. I had a custom one made by my dentist for £120!

@Clefable how ? 😂is there a kit ?

I've bought a couple of the ones you boil in the pan. I find them not great - too much to them as I just need something to sit between my teeth, not completely cover them and not fit in my mouth properly. It costs £250 for a fitted one where I am and ball ache going to dentist. I'm considering botox instead as that is just 100 quid more and probably lasts the same.

SSRIs are the problem for me, but I don't want to come off and be depressed instead.

TheSleepGuard.

Botox also slims your face too, which would help me as I make David Coultard look like Sarah Jessica Parker with the size of my jaw.

I pay £50 for mine! I have to have a new one every 6 months as I really grind my teeth at night. That's from an (NHS) dentist who takes a mould and sends it away for a properly fitting mouth guard.

I got one from the dentist when I was pregnant over 10 years ago, so it was free. I lost it a few years ago so bought this one online. They sent me a mould that I then sent back. It is as good as the dentist one.
SleepPro 1.5mm Firm | SleepPro Sleep Solutions

You just get the moulds, then you boil up water and place them in there till they soften, then you put them in your mouth and they fit to your teeth.

This sort of thing: https://amzn.eu/d/bgQNY1r

Thinking back, the first 2 I had were private dentists and they were around £100-£120.

I grind my teeth and bought a mold which started to misalign my jaw. I have found an amazingly cheap solution- these literally sit on your bottom teeth, you can talk with them in and they stay in all night. I bought mine on amazon (you get a few uses out of them) but this screen shot is Ebay (similar price). You must try them!

That is about the price my husband paid for his.

We think in his case the problem was stress-related as when he changed his schedules with work it got better.

Botox didn't work for me at all, but if it had they said it would last around 3 months.