Night Guard - Making me gag

PixelCrafter · 30-09-2025 08:05PM #1

I got a night guard recently and I literally cannot wear it, I start feeling like I'm gagging and woke up and was actually woke up feeling like I was choking.

It's on the bottom teeth, and tbh I don't think I am grinding - I just have a bit of tooth sensitivity near a crown.

Normally this problematic to wear?

vipden · 30-09-2025 08:14PM

No, this appliance doesn't usually have this effect on people.

Was this nightguard custom made by a dentist or bought in a store? If the latter, I would try getting it made in a dental office before calling it quits.

You also don't know you're grinding unless you get a sleep study done. Many people grind and don't know it.

PixelCrafter · 30-09-2025 08:15PM

Custom made and quite expensive.

I literally woke up last night thinking I was choking and ended up falling out of bed and whacking my head off the locker! Not an experience I want to repeat.

SVI40 · 30-09-2025 08:16PM

I've been wearing one on the top row, and it's no problem. Feels a bit odd, but I'm use to it now, only took about a week.

PixelCrafter · 30-09-2025 08:17PM

It seems quite low profile, but it seems to be just getting in the way of my tongue and that's triggering a really serious gagging sensation.

Jim_Hodge · 30-09-2025 08:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123865489#Comment_123865489

My AI assistant said similar.

@PixelCrafter It should feel snug and you should get used to it in a few days. If things don't settle, go back to the dentist.

PixelCrafter · 30-09-2025 08:41PM

I think I'll give it a skip tbh. I can't realistically see myself using this - bit of a waste of money, but I have my comfort limits.

Esel · 01-10-2025 03:16AM

Try it in the evening at home to see if you can get used to it in your mouth.

I would persevere with using it. Odds are you will get used to it fairly quickly.

PixelCrafter · 01-10-2025 09:11AM

Tried it earlier on and actually started heaving. No way I can use this. Also can’t talk with it in, which doesn’t matter at night but no way I could use that during the day.

I’m just writing it off.

cmac2009 · 01-10-2025 09:18AM

It definitely takes time to get used to it. Took me a couple of weeks. I'd wake up during the night and take it out at the beginning, one time I found it at the bottom of the room with no recollection of how it got there. Made a big difference with the slight headache I used to feel when I woke up.

What type did you get, there's a hard and soft version.

PixelCrafter · 01-10-2025 09:25AM

I had no headaches or evidence of grinding like worn teeth. I just had a bit of sensitivity on a crown, so it was suggested as something to try. I don’t think the crown was ever entirely comfortable tbh. It’s not sensitive in the sense that if you heat/cool or poke it - just achey vibe sometimes.

I’ve an odd crossbite / slightly open bite which isn’t very noticeable but the teeth never quite closed at the front. I think that’s more the issue with the ache than anything else but I’ve asked orthodontist, and other than jaw surgery, which I’m definitely not willing to do for the sake of this, there’s nothing really can be done. Was advised against braces and invisialign etc just on the basis that I’m in my 40s and cosmetically they’re ok, it’s more just can’t bite into things effectively.

Went to a dentist in the U.S. who was immediately suggesting huge surgery - only went in for a minor chip on my front tooth while on holiday.

I had huge amounts of middle ear surgery years ago, which included going in via an incision behind my ear, drilling out bone for access etc etc - so I always have this vague ache on my left side of the face anyway. Hard to explain, but I’m not convinced it’s dental. My jaw and neck muscles locked up after that for months. Took ages to get back to normal. But it’s like a dull ache in my scalp and behind and above my ear and behind my eye and in the upper back teeth a bit. I just ignore it but mentioned it to the dentist which is where this seemed to start down the route of the guard. I’ve a feeling it’s just the aftermath of that ENT work rather than anything dental. Nothing comes up on xray etc, so it’s probably just a case of putting up with it.

01-10-2025 01:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123866612#Comment_123866612

It's not intended for use during the day, is it? Most guards are night time only, to stop you grinding when asleep.

I find the upper guard less comfortable than the lower guard I used to have, next time I'm switching back to the lower one. I'm uncomfortable talking with it in too, so the family know they won't get anything more than a grunt from me once the guard is in.

PixelCrafter · 01-10-2025 04:54PM

Well obviously not, but it’s rather hard to assess how the fit is when you’re asleep!

I’m really sorry I asked now - seems like one of those things this isn’t going to work. Shouldn't really have brought it up with the dentist in the first place as I think I've ended up with a solution in search of an issue lol

billyhead · 01-10-2025 06:42PM

I'm surprised they advised against orthodontic treatment based on age. You can get orthodontic treatment at any age and its not necessarily for cosmetic reasons.

PixelCrafter · 01-10-2025 09:11PM

Yeah, the orthodontist really didn’t seem to think it was worth fixing tbh - would involve a lot of messing around to get it properly lined up. He said it wasn’t suitable for simple braces, and would end up with train-tracks. They very much put me off invisialign type stuff, even though they could in theory move them into line over time.

They look fine and are quite straight, you only notice it if I say bite into crusty bread as they just don’t meet.

The ache is often feeling like it’s in my upper back teeth, but I really don’t think that’s the source - it’s seems to be referred from something in my ear. It’s just a constant vague dull ache but it’s not changing and I’ve had it for about 25 years, so I don’t really think it’s worth messing with. Basically it runs from about 2cm behind my ear to my eye socket and upper teeth on one side. It’s not so bad I need to take anything just a sort of mildly annoying. I brought it up with the ENT years ago and he basically just brushed off as “live with it” and the same thing about the loud tinnitus … meh lol

Planet X · 31-10-2025 10:36AM

Is the crown sensitivity on a new or established crown?

If you’re just occluding on posterior teeth it would seem that your occlusion is not balanced IMO.

Adult orthodontics…….orthodontics best done in mid teens when the jaw bones will adapt and adjust to new occlusion positions IMO.

Just retired recently as a technician and had been making custom night guards for the last 30 years in a referral practice. Anterior open bite, as you mention, are very difficult to make night guards for. The bite is opened even more and I imagine it’s not too comfortable to wear.

PixelCrafter · 31-10-2025 12:55PM

I honestly don’t even think I am grinding at night - there wasn’t any evidence of damage to teeth surfaces - it was more a case of trying this and seeing if it worked - I think I’ll give it a skip though and just forget about it. There’s not a lot I can really do with it that doesn’t involve more intervention that I’m willing to even contemplate and I can’t really be entirely sure if the ache is coming from my tooth or my middle ear / ear canal. The nerves in that area seem to be extremely interconnected and you get referred pains. Like I’ll often get a pain that’s behind my ear, and in my upper teeth on that side.

it’s kinda not bad enough to warrant doing much and I probably just shouldn’t have mentioned it to the dentist in the first place - they’re doing their best but I don’t think it’s fixable.

Night Guard - Making me gag

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