Question:
I have worn my teeth down a bit due to grinding teeth.
I went to a dentist that made me a temporary as she claimed mouth guard out
of silicone as she called it. She wanted me to come in a month for a long
term and expensive mouth guard
made of acrylic that then would be adjusted by her every 2 months. But I
have
not chewd through the silicone one yet as she had claimed I would soon.
Is it possible to buy such silicone material and do a "temporary" mouth
guard by myself every time I chew one through?
I know how the dentist did it. She just put some silicone mass between my
jaws and told me to bite. Then she took it out and cut the edges.
But do you know the exact name of material I should buy? This was a soft
yellow mass that hardened in my mouth in 2 minutes.
Answer:
If you are a bruxist, it would be better to get a proper mouthguard
with stable occlusal contacts. Remember that restorative treatment of
worn down teeth will be much more expensive than a mouthguard.
The material you are describing seems like putty-consistency impression
silicone or a bite registration silicone. There are many different
brands and can only be sold to licensed dentists, or sometimes dental
technicians (for lab silicone) (these materials are classified as
medical devices).
There was no heating in my mouth of the silicone. I just took a bite and had
to hold it between my teeth until it hardened in 2 minutes. The dentist took
it out and pruned it round. That was it.
