TMJ night guard

[coastiewifern]

I'm in the early stages of TMJ but I can tell it is progressing. Insurance does not cover the night guard. I don't want to waste my money of cheap guards from the drug store that don't work. There seem to be a lot of options besides a custom made one from the dentist. I even see sites where you order direct from a dental lab. Can anyone share experiences with night guards. I really don't have $300 to spend on one at the dentist.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

My dentist wanted me to get a night guard at the cost of $500. I did opt for a drug store one for now anyway. It seems to help. Depending on the severity of your case you might want to give a OTc one a try and save for the one that the dentist wants you to have. My neighbor spent a few 100 on a gaurd from her dentist. Turns out she grinds her teeth with so much force she broke it.

 

[packofjedis]

I've tried the drugstore ones and actually permanently screwed up my gums with one. I'd recommend getting the one from the dentist. They do know what they're doing.

To the PP....I've broken one from my dentist too. She just had to figure a way to reconfigure it for me. Also had one that only fit on front top 2 teeth, theory being grinding with your front bottom teeth is too painful so your brain will tell you to stop. You should see how lovely and smooth/flat my bottom front teeth are.

 

[GrumpySue]

I have worn a night guard for the past 20 years or so, I am on my second one, I did eventually chew through the first one. But I must say, $300.00 sounds like a lot of money, but the first one lasted me at least 15 years, they are indestructible. The wear and tear on your teeth over the years that the night guards prevents as well as the pain in your jaw and chronic headaches it prevents are well worth the cost. My advice - get one from the dentist, you will save yourself from a lot of issues down the road.

 

[coastiewifern]

what do you think of this option? They send you the stuff to make an impression

http://www.teethnightguard.com

 

[coastiewifern]

Yippee come to find out my insurance does pay a large portion and my cost will be 171. I can handle that!

 

[VeeHam]

Glad your insurance is covering some of the cost.
I also recommend getting one from your dentist. I tried OTC night guards and none worked and were very uncomfortable, even the ones you can mold yourself.
My dentist started with a clear piece that fit over all lower teeth and I broke it within a few days. Then we tried a clear peice over my top teeth and I also crushed that. My dentist ending up recommending an NTI splint. I've had it for 8 years and it works amazingly. Highly recommended.
Also, if you start to have a lot of headaches and jaw popping out of place, you can find a physician that performs arthrocentesis (sp?) of the jaw. I had it done to both sides almost 3 years ago and I haven't clicked or popped out of place since then. TMJ is very hard to treat so I hope the splint helps.

 

[ceecee]

There are some new disposible ones that are otc, they prevent you from squeezing your teeth together at night. We have them at Meijer stores here and they are inexpensive. I work for a dentist and several patients have had good results with these. They don't completely cover the teeth so an exact fit isn't necessary. I'll check on the name.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I use an OTC one. It works fine for me. I was very careful when fitting it. Maybe you could try an OTC one and if it doesn't help get fitted for one.

 

[kellia]

I just got one from the dentist a couple of months ago. I tried the drugstore ones, but they ended up on the pillow some time in the night! This one actually stays in.

 

[Kay1]

Yippee come to find out my insurance does pay a large portion and my cost will be 171. I can handle that!

That sounds like the best option. Glad to hear the good news.

 

[C-CMom]

Are you checking Dental or Medical insurance? My Medical insurance covered. May be worth checking both if you have them.

 

[ceecee]

Are you checking Dental or Medical insurance? My Medical insurance covered. May be worth checking both if you have them.

That's true, the medical is usually the one to cover it. Your dental office should have a letter with the bruxism appl code that they can send to see if it's covered.

 

[sommergirl25]

The problem with the OTC night guards are that they are usually squishy which can cause you to grind your teeth more. I would try to save up to get the one from a dental office. Mail order ones would not be ideal either because after taking impressions, you still may need some adjustments.

 

[tink576]

I have worn a night guard for the past 20 years or so, I am on my second one, I did eventually chew through the first one. But I must say, $300.00 sounds like a lot of money, but the first one lasted me at least 15 years, they are indestructible. The wear and tear on your teeth over the years that the night guards prevents as well as the pain in your jaw and chronic headaches it prevents are well worth the cost. My advice - get one from the dentist, you will save yourself from a lot of issues down the road.

It's also good to get checked out for tmj...I didn't realize I ground my teeth in my sleep, but my neurologist recommended looking into it for my migraines. I chewed through the first guard my dentist made in 3 months...Clearly I grind much more then I realize ... I then went to a tmj specialist and my new guard is made of better materials to make it more difficult to chew through...also the guard the dentists make is simply a plastic cover around your teeth. The guard made by the TMJ has a, ramps is not the right word, but is specially shaped so that you can not close your mouth completely. When you clench and grind your teeth, your jaw can dislocate causing the popping sounds and pain in your jaw. Migraines/headaches are triggered because the dislocating causes a, the doctor described it like a sprain, and swelling setting off your head. By having the built up guard it allows your jaw to heal without causing further damage. My jaw used to pop and click a lot and since starting to wear the guard every night, the poping and clicking has stopped completely, jaw pain/soreness gone, and migraines have decreased. If you are noticing the side effects of TMJ, not just grinding, I would look into a tmj specific guard versus a plain guard.

 

[ceecee]

Dentists will suggest a night guard for TMJ, if you aren't having problems with your tm joint you wouldn't need one in the first place. Granted there are varying degrees of tmj disorder symptoms. There is really no "specialist" for TMJ unless the dentist took a course for TMJ and those are sometimes nothing more than "how to boost your production" and often times are given by the place selling the materials.
I only notice problems when I'm under stress because I tend to clench down then, so a temporary appl is fine for me, even though I do have one especially for TMJ. Sometimes I will wear my bleaching trays because they are softer, but they still keep me from clenching down hard. So try a cheap solution at first.

 

[sk!mom]

DH has used one custom made by the dentist for years. It was expensive- over $200 but I don't remember the exact amount but it fits well, is comfortable, and has lasted.

DH's issue was teeth grinding. He was grinding his teeth down. He never had any pain but the guard has stopped the grinding.

 

[clm10308]

There are some new disposible ones that are otc, they prevent you from squeezing your teeth together at night. We have them at Meijer stores here and they are inexpensive. I work for a dentist and several patients have had good results with these. They don't completely cover the teeth so an exact fit isn't necessary. I'll check on the name.

This sounds like the ones that I use. They are Plackers Grind No More. They cost around $25 for a box of 10. I tried the ones that fit similar to a sports mouth guard, but I could never keep them in all night and I chewed through them in just a couple of weeks. When these get worn down I just throw it away and get a new one from the box. I can tell when I need a new one because I will start waking up with headaches. I have only been able to find them at CVS or online from drugstore.com

 

[Princess_Meghan <3]

I got a night guard from the dentist, and my parents spent a fortune on it (our insurance doesn't cover tmj, either). And of course, it didn't help me one bit it actually made things worse. The one plus side is, since the original mold is paid for, any other device he decides to make aren't as expensive. We've tried numerous devices, though none of them have actually worked at this point.

 

[kalliyan1]

My TMJ symptoms started when I was 16. I've had every treatment know to man. I have the otc bite guards and I would not recommend them. When you get the dentist one, they are custom fit to you. $200-$300 sounds cheap. I had to pay $600!!!!
I paid it because I was having such problems. It worked and helped for a few years but unfortunately I was one of those rare cases that required the TMJ surgery( they went in the side of my face and removed the joint all together)...funny thing is, I had to buy another one after the surgery to protect the other side
Oh well. It' works and I don't have the contant face pressure and headaches.

Also, with insurance, check Both medical and dental. I found that dental covers some things even though TMJ is considered a medical condition.