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Dental and Oral Health Center

Purchasing a night guard

06/12/2009

Question:

I`ve used a night guard because of teeth grinding for over 15 years. One dentist made it to sit on the lower back teeth. Another made it to sit over the upper front teeth. My grinding isn`t so bad that I`m wearing down the guard. However, I had 5 gumline fractures fixed yesterday - 3 on the cheekside and 2 on the tongue side.

I really want those to be the last. How can I find/acquire/purchase a night guard that will help?

This isn`t something Consumer Reports advises on. But it`s certainly an area where I feel I could spend a lot of money and have very little to show for it.

Any advice?

Answer:

To get a new mouthguard you will need to go to your dentist and have it fabricated. Over-the-counter devices may give some short-term relief but are not recommended for long-term use. The over-the-counter devices may actually cause harm if used long term.

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Response by:

The Ohio State University D Stanley Sharples, DDS
Assistant Professor, Clinical
Section of Primary Care
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University