Call it a consequence of modern life, but most of the UK population suffers from bruxism.
What-ism? Well, you probably know it by its more descriptive name: teeth grinding.
Most of us grind our teeth at night, but few know it. Some 10 per cent of Brits know they do it according to The Bruxism Association.
A trip to the dentist might reveal your life as a secret nocturnal grinder, or you could suffer from a sore jaw or general pain in the head and shoulders region as a consequence of the habit. Gum recession is a big red flag, while cracked crowns pretty much give the game away.
Young people are more likely to be grinders: it’s most common in 25 to 44-year-olds, tailing off with old age. While occasional grinding is normal, in extreme cases, you could be doing serious damage to your enamel.
What turns us into bruxers, consciously or otherwise? Stress is the obvious culprit, with tension or processing the day manifesting into chomping our gnashers come bedtime. Snoring and sleep apnoea can also trigger teeth grinding as the jaw moves forward to open airways. And a bad lifestyle full of smoking, drinking and narcotics-taking can lead to clenching your teeth at night without you even knowing.
While some schools of thought make the argument for bruxism (stops potentially life-threatening sleep apnoea, promotes saliva to stave off tooth decay and may promote cognitive function), leave it to fester or worse, accelerate, and you could be waking up to a world of dental damage.
While most kids and teens grow out of bruxism, if you’re worried about it as an adult, wearing a mouthguard at night can offer a solution.
Crafted from body-safe plastic, these cases wrap around your top and bottom sets of teeth to create a barrier against friction. They’re not pretty, but they’re better than a mouthful of cracked teeth. Mouthguards come in standardised fits, although you can find bespoke options for your teeth if you’re willing to spend a bit extra.
If you’re weary about worn teeth and need a solution for nighttime teeth grinding, we’ve rounded up the best options for adults, teens and kids below.
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TheSleepGuard clench no more mouthguard
Skip the trip to the dentist if you’re concerned about teeth grinding and head to Doctor Amazon instead.
The site stocks The Sleep Guard’s clench no more dental tool to prevent damaging teeth grinding at night. Made from clear EVA, you’ll get a small and large set in this bundle to help you with the best fit.
Give away the other pair to a friend to prevent waste.
Buy now £15.95, Amazon
DenTek Comfort-Fit Dental Mouth Guards
If it’s the thought of adding plastic bulk to your mouth that’s keeping you up at night, DenTek’s mouthguard might be more up your street. Instead of wrapping both sets of teeth in plastic, the design uses an adjustable five-point system to sit around the mouth with a bite pad at the back for resting molars on.
Wear it at night or for high-contact sports like boxing.
Buy now £33.56, Amazon
The ConfiDental Pack of 3 Moldable Mouth Guard
For those new to the mouthguard-wearing game, it can be tricky to sleep with an alien item in your mouth. For the sake of your teeth, it’s worth persevering with, and with the brilliantly named ConfiDental, you’ll get to try three guards for your money. Mouldable and thin yet heavy-duty for severe cases, they can be used by adults and kids alike.
Buy now £13.99, Amazon
Bruxeeze Dental Self-fit Night Guard
Crafted with dual-layer technology to protect grinding teeth from wearing down, you’ll get two nightguards in this set, which can be worn on the upper or lower set. The guard must be moulded to your teeth first - easily done with a kettle - before biting down to take your unique teeth shape. It’s all down in less than five minutes but if you make a mistake, you can remould it up to four times.
Buy now £17.37, Amazon
SleepRight Dura Comfort Ready to Wear Teeth Grinding and Clenching Bruxism Dental Guard
Protect jaws and teeth with this mouthguard from SleepRight. Your pearly whites will rest along soft, heat-sensitive bands that come fitted with stability wings and strong bite pads which swivel to match all bite angles. They don’t need boiling or microwaving to kill off nasties before wear - use them right out of the box and adjust just once for a customised fit.
Buy now £44.00, Boots
DenTek Maximum Protection Dental Mouth Guard
Partners reporting loud teeth grinding means you may have an extreme situation on your hands. Luckily DenTek has an answer with this maximum protection guard which comes with cushioned upper and lower grind shields. These can be moulded to your choppers using a forming tray so there’s no chance of slipping and sliding when you’re asleep.
Thin but robust, the mouthguard can be remoulded as many times as you need to get the perfect fit.
Buy now £22.98, Amazon
Sova Aero Nightguard
Super slim and lightweight but with excellent staying power so it won’t fall out mid-REM, this mouthguard is just 1.6mm thin and can be adjusted to create a custom fit for your dental contours. The design is made with Diffusix Technology to form a strong barrier against teeth grinding, giving you the peace of mind to drift off knowing your teeth are safe.
We like the perforations which encourage natural air and saliva flow.
Buy now £31.96, Amazon
Renben Mouth Guard
Made from body-safe plastic, Renben's mouthguard can be reused and packed for holidays in its little case, which means you won't ruin your break by teeth grinding-induced headaches. It's easy to fit too: simply trim it to fit your mouth, soften it with boiling water and allow to cool before biting down on it so it can take the print of your dental layout. Repeated wearing can even help align some wonky teeth.
Buy now £14.99, Amazon
