the Price of a Mouth Guard

I've recently developed a bad habit of clenching my jaw and grinding my teeth, both asleep and awake, so my dentist suggested I be fitted for a custom mouth guard. While there are drugstore boil-and-bite brands, he stated that they were risky to use because they weren't professionally fitted and could lead to problems as severe as TMJ. After much deliberation (read: thirty seconds of chewing on my lip, and surprise, clenching my jaw), I decided to have this made. I had to be fitted for it, which involved about five minutes of having my mouth filled with a pliable foam-like material, and then having an impression of my bite made. The guard would arrive approximately a week later, at which point I had to go in to pick it up and have the dentist check the fit.

The actual process of taking impressions was very quick and painless. After a routine cleaning, the dentist and his assistant came in and were able to complete the impression within a matter of minutes. The foam was a bit uncomfortable, and I wouldn't recommend doing it unless you could breathe clearly through your nasal passages, but it passed quickly. I did find that even though I rinsed well, I was still picking little pieces of it out of my mouth for the subsequent several hours. Once I returned, I was able to get in and out quickly. The dentist showed me how to moisten and properly use the guard, which felt awkward at first. He gave me some good guidelines for how to use it. The actual guard was much more stiff than I thought it would be, but I suppose it needed to be.

First and foremost, if you have dental insurance, call first to find out how much if any is covered. In my case, a percentage of "reasonable and customary" would end up being covered, so I was still out of pocket quite a bit on it. Also, talk to your dentist about the pros versus the cons of having it. If you're not likely to actually use it once you have it, it might not be worth the time or expense.