Stock mouth guards are those that you can buy at a cheap cost in department and drug stores. Since they are ready made, you can’t adjust them to fit well on your mouth. They are also quite large, making it difficult to talk properly. The stock offers the least protection among the three types of mouth guard.

The boil and bite type is made up of thermoplastic and can also be easily bought in stores. It must be immersed in hot water first to soften before placing and shaping them on your teeth. However they eventually become fragile.

Custom-made is the most recommended by dentists since it can fit perfectly on your teeth. Although it has the highest cost, you are assured of the protection and comfort it gives.

The most vital thing you can do is to wear a mouth guard at night. Mouth guards can either be bought over-the-counter or have it personally made by your dentist. Wearing it at night doesn’t necessarily mean that the grinding of your teeth will halt, but it helps your teeth to avoid getting further damage. Protection of teeth is the chief concern when it comes to bruxism.

You can do relaxation techniques before sleeping to reduce your bruxism: Take a warm bath or damp a warm cloth on your jaw for its muscles to relax; perform stress management and relaxation techniques because stress is a common cause of such condition; and take analgesics or muscle relaxants regularly as prescribed.

A dental flipper is an acrylic tooth replacement that is used to cover the gaps between teeth or replace a chipped tooth. Also known as partial dentures, dental flippers are the cheapest option for a temporary tooth replacement. The acrylic tooth also has a range of shades which you can choose from to closely match the color of your natural teeth. It is also designed and molded to fit well into the palate. It is not recommended to use flippers over years because they can cause damage to the gums and may break through time.