SleepRight Dura-Comfort Dental Guard – Mouth Guard To Prevent Teeth Grinding

UPDATE in NOVEMBER 2014: My dentist once warned me that dogs love dental night guards and he was correct! Be warned! Earlier, I did find I had totally expelled my SLEEP RIGHT night guard in my sleep - and sure enough, one time our new dog found it and chewed it up. So I had to order another one from Amazon.Also, do feel free to experiment with the "sizing" adjustments. Also, the gums on my lower front teeth did not like where the band rested when adjusted per manufacturer's directions. I have a very small mouth. I ended up adjusting it to the largest size and wearing it UPSIDE-DOWN. The gums above my upper teeth do not seem to "notice" the band - and "Mr. Tongue" does not seem to feel the need to play with it anymore.NOTE: I am not a bruxer (I don't grind my teeth), but after several months of using this SLEEP RIGHT night guard I am inclined to believe that it may move around too easily for bruxers. BUT, for CLENCHERS I believe this may work out well for you as it has for me. Aside from the fact that I am wearing it upside down - and not adjusted to the size that was suggested, it still took a while before it was a comfortable solution for my clenching. It seemed too hard - although now it seems softer (and it is not dented, etc.). Please remember you did not just start clenching (or bruxing). It is something you have probably done for nearly as long as you've had teeth. It is only logical that you will find this device alien in all ways! You are leaving something in your mouth instead sof chewing it up and swallowing it. I read some of the one star reviews, and I have not experienced any of the change in occlusion problems that some reviewers mentioned. I am not sure if they were bruxers or clenchers. I can on say to be patient. I never wake up with the jaw pain ("toothaches" in several teeth at once) that I used to experience. I was also in a car accident in 1969 and my jaw was broken and many of my teeth were damaged. Because of the hairline cracks in my teeth, clenching hard seemed to open those cracks to anaerobic bacteria. Several times I had really, really bad abscesses. Several times my dentist said I needed a root canal - but I did not believe that that was the problem - especially since the abscesses were never in the same place. I was taking antibiotics over and over - a bad thing to do. Since I've worn this SLEEP RIGHT device since getting this Spring I have not had a single root abscess and now my Dentist is a believer that the clenching plus the cracks in my teeth were the problem. What the SLEEP RIGHT device seems to have done is make my subconscious quit clenching because "something is in the way". I know this may sound strange, but it is my experience!________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ORIGINAL REVIEWMy first SLEEP RIGHT Dental Guard said on the package that it was 2X stronger than bitepad material in any other night guard. It was heavenly soft - but I chewed it up in weeks. In the meantime I had purchased and received this one from Amazon - which said it is 4X stronger, etc. So, when I got the 2X version replaced under warranty I asked the manufacturer for one of this model instead.This product WORKS, WONDERFULLY. I am a clencher - a hard, hard, hard clencher. I have paid buku bucks through the years for night guards through my dentist. I have always complained that they do not help with the clenching - but they might for bruxing - which I don't do. Somehow I always got guilted into getting them (I assume as opposed to buying something "inferior" OTC). Then, with my last "Dentist's" $200+ night guard I experimented with hot glue - adding "pads" onto it, and voila, that worked. Previously I had been only replacing one hard surface (my teeth) for another hard surface - the "bruxing proof" Dentist's night guard. The soft surface proved to me that there was a better answer for my clenching problem.The only problem I am having (and I think I can break the habit) is with "Mr. Tongue". I have one of those inquisitive and helpful tongues that drives dentists nuts! One good thing about the "Dentist's" night guards is that there were a tight enough fit that "Mr. Tongue" could not dislodge them. With the SLEEP RIGHT dental guard I have awakened more than once with it out of place (one end hanging out of my mouth) and the other end firmly clenched between some of my teeth. The SLEEP RIGHT device is soft enough, that even with it relocated to suit "Mr. Tongue's" peculiar desires, it is more restful for my jaw than either no night guard or the hard plastic ones (supposedly with a soft outer layer) from the Dentist. As I said, I think "Mr. Tongue" will eventually lose interest in playing with it and I will find it where I left it on more occasions than not. Oh, and did I mention, I can TALK with it in my mouth (far more understandably than with a conventional Dentist's custom guard?).I cannot speak for bruxers, but clenching I know, and this was a lucky find for me and may be a lucky find for you too. One additional benefit from wearing this night guard as opposed to the "molded to your teeth" models (professional or at home types) is that there is nothing in close contact with your teeth to trap germs, etc., against your tooth surfaces for many hours at a time. Even if you brush, etc., before bedtime, and brush your molded night guard, I have often wondered if some harm might not be coming from the germs trapped against the teeth with those tight fitting "Dentist's" night guards that cover such a sizeable area of the teeth.Today, after less than a week with my SLEEP RIGHT night guard, I am today ordering a spare from Amazon. (I am always afraid I'll leave a night guard where it can be tampered with by a dog - of which we have a newish one - the older dog knows that my night guard is a big NO-NO.)

I grind my back teeth and only discovered I did that after I broke a tooth due to the grinding. I often had headaches due to the grinding. I was told by my dentist to have a mouth guard made but when I saw the price tag for a custom guard I just simply couldn't afford it. One of the techs in the office suggested I try store brand. It doesn't work for everyone but it was worth a try. I tried a couple of others before trying this version by SleepRight. I sleep comfortably with it. The others didn't sit right in my mouth and kinda made me a gag a bit. This one doesn't do that. I've been using this same one for the past 4 years (4th time buying). They're strong and usually last me about a year before its time to replace. Its been a huge help. It protects my teeth, I am not getting frequent headaches, its easy to take in & out, easy to clean and store.

This is a much more inexpensive alternative to a custom made night guard/retainer from the dentist. The way this guard works is pretty simple, and works pretty well for a clencher like me. It works pretty simply--you bite down on flat strips with your back molars while side wings sit between your teeth and cheeks. A front strap that goes over and in front of your bottom teeth/gum line ensures the guard doesn't slip back.Due to stress, I clench hard in my sleep. Days I'm under severe stress I clench so hard my jaws sometimes get lockjaw. I've had to see my physician a few times for this, and while I haven't had as much stress lately, I can say this night guard does protect my teeth from further wear.I'm due to get new crowns on my front teeth that I've ground down to see-through opacity, and with this night guard, I feel better about being protected in the future. At this price, it's affordable enough to lose when traveling (this is a major consideration to take into account if you travel a lot or lose things frequently, because custom dental retainers costs thousands).What I don't like about this product is two of the wing flaps on the sides that sit between the cheeks and the gums/teeth can be a bit uncomfortable at first. It takes some getting used to, and even after a few days it still feels kind of weird to me. I have a medium sized mouth and the front strap that helps hold the guard in place barely reaches my bottom front gum line. Because this strap limits the length the guard sits back in your mouth, if you have a larger mouth your bicuspids instead of your back molars may be biting down and holding the guard in place, which may feel really weird.