If You Grind Your Teeth, This Affordable Custom Night Guard Is A Dream Come True

Turns out you can save a bunch of money if you cut out the middle-dentist.

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Hello, my name is Jessie and I have major bruxism issues.

Universal

For the unacquainted, bruxism is a fancy dentist word for tooth-grinding. I've been a nighttime tooth-grinder for as long as I can remember; when I was a kid, my mom used to be able to hear me grinding away from her bedroom, DOWN THE HALL.

According to the Mayo Clinic, severe bruxism can lead to "jaw disorders, headaches, damaged teeth and other problems." Listen, I didn't wear braces for four years only to ruin my teeth in my sleep.

And because this is America, land of the free, home of the 50 shades of fucked-up health care, mouthguards can cost many hundreds of dollars.

A few years ago, when I broke my mouthguard (I literally chewed through it), my dentist told me that the out-of-pocket cost for a replacement would be $900. And I (ALLEGEDLY) had insurance! So I went looking for a cheaper alternative. I wanted a hard mouthguard (did I mention I had chewed through the last one?), so I knew it would need to be custom fitted. If those over-the-counter guards work for you, mazel! But I needed something a bit heavier-duty.

Enter: our hero, the J&S Dental Lab Night Guard.

Jessie Gaynor / Via BuzzFeed

I will admit that when I first landed on this page, I was a little skeptical of the idea of DIY-ing a dental device. At $130, it was way cheaper than the ones my dentist was hocking, but it wasn't cheap.

I do floss every day (BRAG), but I am in no way a dentistry professional. But every step of this process was so seamless — and the results were so beyond my expectations — that I can admit my incredulity was entirely unfounded.

Here's how it works:

Jessie Gaynor / Via BuzzFeed

* You place and order on Amazon. Easy enough!

* J&S Dental Lab sends you a plastic tray, some putty, instructions, a mailer, and an order form.

* You — following the (very simple) instructions — prepare the putty, put the putty in in the tray, put the tray in your mouth (see photo above), and take a couple selfies while you wait.

* You fill out the order form and send it, along with the impression, back to them.

* A few weeks later, your new mouthguard arrives at your door, with the impression of your mouth (in case you need to reorder).

*You are the chomp-ion of the world.

Here's a picture of the whole gang:

JaniceQC / Via amazon.com

You can get a top or a bottom guard, in soft, semi-soft, or hard acrylic. (I went with a hard top guard, which has served me exceedingly well.)

I have been wearing this mouthguard for four years, which, given my jaw strength, is honestly shocking.

Jessie Gaynor / Via BuzzFeed

And I use these Retainer Brite tablets and this little case to keep it clean, in case you were concerned about my oral hygiene.

Trust me: your teeth deserve this.

NBC

Get it from Amazon for $129.99.

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Allison Krausman / Via BuzzFeed