DenTek Mouth Guard for Nighttime Teeth Grinding, Professional-Fit Dental Guard, 1 Count

I have been using this product for a decade or more, and it just gets better with each improvement. My first dental guard was custom-made by my dentist for a lot of money ($100s, as I recall), and it lasted maybe a year. I decided that was way too much to pay, so I got one of these for around $20. I can now use them for over a year before they wear out. They fit tight and don’t bother you at all when you sleep. The formed part does eventually detach from the the flexible plastic outer guard, but that process takes months to complete, and you can still use it till it completely separates. The key is to brush it thoroughly every time you brush your teeth, so it stays clean and sanitary. You can ignore the "don’t wear any longer than 6 months" advice, unless you have some peculiar dental problems. I don’t, other than bruxism (teeth grinding).One tip: before you heat the new mouth guard and insert it into your teeth, practice a couple of time to make sure you align it properly. I heat it on the stove in water rather than using the microwave, just because I trust that more.Second tip: when you’ve heated the mouth guard properly (follow all the instructions), and are ready to stick it in your mouth, don’t bite down too hard and also leave just a little bit of room in front of your front teeth for some of the silicone to remain there as you bear down with your bite. If you bite down too hard you will hit the flexible plastic outer guard, and that will weaken the bond of the silicone to the outer guard, shortening the life of you mouth guard considerably. Remember that most of the grinding and wear come from your back teeth, so you want a bit more "cushion" back there than in the front, so think of biting down with more pressure on your front teeth than on your back teeth. I know that sounds weird, but practice it a little, and you will see what I mean.Third tip: once you have bitten down on the new mouth guard, maintain your bite until the directions say to let loose, and very slowly remove the guard from your teeth. It will want to stick at first, and you don’t want to yank crowns off as you remove it. If necessary, swish a little water around in your mouth and then ease the guard off your teeth.If things don’t work the first time, you can try one more time, but the mouth guard will probably not last as long or fit quite as well, so get it right the first time! Practice!

It is a good product, though I wish the guard was longer. Not all molars are not guarded.

I am a heavy teeth grinder. My dentist has created a custom fit one--but it fit over my incisors and was very, very, VERY uncomfortable. I started looking for alternatives.This is one of the more common types of over-the-counter mouthguards--boil water, dunk guard until it softens up, bite over it, wait until it cools. Not terribly hard. And while it's much more comfortable fitting it over the upper teeth, it will work with lower ones, too.Here are the two downsides, though:1. The guard sticks over the teeth as you remove it. I have some fillings on my teeth and I worry if it will remove it every time I imprint a new one. Likewise, it also sticks to the mold and is sometimes difficult to remove.2. It says it lasts 6 months--but it will not last 6 months before cracking. It's more like "it'll last 6 months before the guard's imprinted portion literally splits in two and decouples from the plastic plate that separates the teeth." I'm not sure if that's what they meant, but that's about how it lasts with each one of these that I went through. And I'm sure I've eaten those tiny little plastic bits that broke apart as I slept.I'd get other mouthguards, but most--even including Remi, which comes with one guard for upper and lower teeth and is honestly not a bad a deal if it works with your teeth (their customer service is, unfortunately, pretty lacking)--won't take the abuse as gracefully as these; Remi would literally shatter after a few months. Other Dentek stuff aren't form-fitting, and often not comfortable. And for off brand guards... well...I'll continue to use these. I don't have a choice. It's probably the best one for my specific use case.But man, I wish there was a better choice.