Hey there, I know a lot about night guards since I own a company that makes them (Pro Teeth Guard). Not here to sell, just hoping to share some helpful info.

Of the custom night guards you tried, do you know what types / materials they're made of? And also the thickness? The hard acrylic ones at the dentist are typically pretty thick.

Perhaps you can find a thinner, lower profile night guard that you'd be able to sleep with. You can try an ultra-thin night guard that's kind of like a retainer or maybe a soft night guard, but made of a thinner material (2mm or thinner) that would be lower profile & more comfortable to wear. Also was your previous guard an upper or lower night guard? Some people tolerate a lower night guard better & it could stay in better v.s. an upper night guard.

There are a bunch of online brands (just do a search on Reddit or Google) that offer custom night guards & the most of them have a money back guarantee. Rather than continuing to spend $1000s plus at the dentist & not being certain these mouth guards will work, you can try ordering a few different varieties online & if it doesn't work out, you can return it for a full refund. Happy to answer any night guard specific questions you may have.

See the pinned thread for remedies

Mouth guards don't stop bruxism! They just reduce damage while you find the underlying cause and fix it. For night bruxism it can be stress, difficulty breathing, noises during the night and more I might not be aware.

If you're interested in tracking your progress, you might consider this https://www.reddit.com/r/bruxism/s/CRJG7GF7UY

Have you tried Botox?

I am in a similar boat. There is no cure, from my assessment, but there are things which can reduce it somewhat. High dose magnesium for example definitely reduces it slightly for me. Yesterday I had 600mg and I will try going higher. (See this article which explains there's no reason not to https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831323013352)

Tried cannabis?

None. Go get a custom made one from your dentist

I heard otc mouth guards can worsen tmj

Not sure if there's a good over-the-counter mouth guard since they are generic. I couldn't find something that was comfortable to wear, so I switched to using a custom-fit guard. Good decision I made! Initially, I thought custom night guards were expensive, but then I found a dental guard manufacturer online that follows the same processes as dental clinics do for their mouth guards.

I think by flat your dentist means the part where your opposing teeth will touch it. A flat biting surface. It will be fit around your teeth. I would get a professional one made - not the kind you boil and fit yourself.

I have a mouth guard that my dentist made for me, and it is flat on top. They’re expensive but worth it. Mine is a lower guard, and I think it’s also helped my (mild) sleep apnea...lower guards are supposed to help more for that than upper according to my dentist.

The best mouthguard you can get is fitted by a dentist. This is not the area to cheap out on, an online mouth guard can worsen your teeth grinding and further damage your teeth.

Please do not buy the cheap over the counter mouthguards. I used a couple of those and totaly messed up my bite over the course of 8-10 months.

Due to my inability to chew I had to get adult braces for two years costing me 4000$

Lesson learned, don’t cheap out on yourself. At least my teeth are straighter than ever now lol, and I’m in my 30s

This is not something to be frugal about. Pay for the custom night guard. Over years, grinding at night can seriously fuck up your whole mouth of teeth AND your jaw.

There is no good substitute- trust me I learned this the hard way. Now, at 42, I have the night guard and it’s changed everything.

YMMV but I fucked up my alignment with over-the-counter options. If there's any possibility of you being able to afford a dentist-fitted one, this is a time to do that. Be frugal in other areas.

I have used the dentek "professional fit" mouthguards for years and I like them. The product is easy to mold to your teeth and reasonably inexpensive. You do have to replace them every so often depending on your grinding habits. Mine tend to last 6 months each.

Custom nigh guards from the dentist are the only way to go. Any cheap ones online will make your grinding and teeth alignment worse.

One drawback to a custom one is if you have any work done on your teeth it may not fit anymore. I had a root canal and crown, and now 1 year after paying several hundred dollars for a custom one it no longer fits right. I got one of the boil types, and like you, OP, it makes me want to chew and clench.

Another thing is while a mouth guard will protect you from clenching damage, it won’t actually stop clenching. I’ve actually had 2 custom ones (years apart) and continue to clench with all the pain that goes along with it.

Two non-mouthguard related thoughts: Are you taking any meds? They can make grinding worse- may still be worth taking but it is worth bringing up with your doctor!

I’ve seriously considered getting masseter botox injections before. Some dentists offer them. They basically freeze the clenching muscles in an unclenched stance, which theoretically doesn’t affect chewing but prevents serious clenching. Probably costs the same as the mouth guard and isn’t permanent, but some people report longterm improvements. It might be worth looking into.

Been there. Clenching wrecked my jaw and gave me constant headaches. The drugstore ones made it worse for me too. I ended up getting a custom guard from clear club instead of the dentist and it's way more affordable and actually comfortable to wear.

I have usedchomper labs

Been using it for 2 years, works fine!

I only use one on a night

I’ve been using the clear club sports mouth guard its custom fitted and it fits great. It keeps my teeth protected and feels super comfy

Get your dentist to make you one, and a back up as well. Best mouthguard you will ever have.

Damage Control

Guard Lab

Funky Gums

These are all brands that do custom guards. I have a set from Guard Lab. They are awesome, but the customer service was terrible. I recieved my order many weeks after the projected delivery date. I had to repeatedly contact customer service and complain. It was only until I threatened to share my experience as a customer that they sent the product.

Also, they messed up the design and had to send me a replacement. So in the end I got two guards for the price of one. Not worth the headache though.

All three companies can do impressions. Getting an impression kit wasn’t an option for me. So I opted to get an intraoral 3D scan (what they use for Invisalign). I know DC can use the scans too. Idk about Funky.

If you want a decent guard you should go to a dentist and get one custom made. Boil and bite is fine but it’s not going to offer the level of protection you will get from a custom guard

I have an impact mouthguard and I also got a clearance color and I’m very happy with it so far

I use this one: https://gladiatorguards.com/product/gladiator-high-performance/

Very happy with it, have been using it for many years now.

Venum. Good fit, good protection.

Y'all know the deal. Gear talk all goes to r/fightgear.

Now OP, since you were told this by another user and still decided to keep the post up you skip right to a ban. Flair removal is a warning, and you already decided to ignore yours.

Dentist measured mouthguard

Damage Control and SISU are also great

I have that exact gumshield, still got most of my teef. No but seriously, I have family and friends that worked for OPRO and speak very highly of the company, best brand in my opinion. Wouldn't use anything else.

Get one custom fitted by your dentist, shouldn't be more than £50-£60 and will work better than any other gumshield

The ones you get from your dentist.

I have two Guard Lab gum shields and really like them.