9 Night Guard Alternatives (And Do They Actually Work?)

Sleep bruxism, also known as teeth grinding, affects many of us. For some people, it shows up for a few nights (usually during stressful periods) and disappears, never to be seen again. 

But for others, like you, it lasts long enough to be noticeable — and irritating. 

That’s when you start wondering how to protect your teeth from the grinding effects, and you see that your first line of defense is a night guard. 

If your dentist has prescribed one and you’re not ready to invest, you’re concerned about discomfort, or something else, we’ll share 9 night guard alternatives here and whether they actually work.

Dental Treatments

Bruxism is a sleep disorder that has a variety of potential underlying causes. To stop teeth grinding and jaw clenching, you need to address the underlying causes. For some people, it’s as “simple” as a dental procedure.

Dental problems like misaligned teeth and bite issues can put excess strain on the jaw muscles. Because your teeth aren’t in their natural alignment, chewing, speaking, and sleeping create uneven bite pressure. Grinding is a subconscious way your body relieves this tension.

In a vicious cycle, bruxism can also lead to dental problems like damaged teeth and gums, which then trigger your jaw muscles to clench and grind, further exacerbating the cycle. Correcting cavities, cracks, and chips with crowns, fillings, and other dental restorations can reduce the grinding, giving you time to fix the problem at its root.

Depending on the severity of the bite misalignment, orthodontic treatment through braces or Invisalign might be a solution. It may take some time for your teeth to shift into their proper positions, but once they do, those bruxing behaviors may disappear. 

In the meantime, wearing a dental night guard alongside your orthodontia protects your teeth from the damage of grinding, but it doesn’t have to be a permanent part of your oral health routine.

Lifestyle Adjustments

A night guard is a protective barrier that keeps your teeth from touching when you grind — but it doesn’t stop the behavior. If the reason for your grinding isn’t as easy to pinpoint as a dental fix, making some lifestyle changes to narrow down the culprit is the next step.

Stress And Bruxism

While the causes of bruxism vary, the most common reason we grind is stress. But many times, getting rid of our stressors isn’t as easy as it sounds. To help, consider adding stress management techniques to your day. 

Something as unobtrusive as deep breathing or a short walk outside may be all it takes to expel the stress hormones from your body and replace them with calming doses of dopamine and serotonin. And if these stress relievers don’t reduce your bruxism, they’re still good for your overall well-being, so it’s a win either way!

Other Lifestyle Alterations to Reduce Teeth Grinding

Regardless of the cause, bruxism symptoms can be triggered by stimulants and a sedentary lifestyle. Here are a few ways you can minimize your bruxing triggers:

• Stop smoking - Nicotine in cigarettes and vaping devices stimulates jaw muscle activity and releases dopamine while you’re sleeping, encouraging the urge to grind. Smokers are 2-5 times more likely to grind than non-smokers. 
• Reduce caffeine intake - Grinding can occur when your central nervous system is overstimulated by too much caffeine. Limiting your caffeine intake to minimal amounts early in the day lowers anxiety and sleep interruption that triggers grinding and clenching.
• Increase exercise - Getting more physical movement during the day releases endorphins and relieves stress by reducing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This relief leads to better sleep quality and less bruxing.

Once you think you know what’s triggering your grinding, you can make some lifestyle adjustments to stop the actions. It may take some trial and error, but the better sleep and reduced bruxism discomfort will be worth it!

Vitamins And Minerals

Some supplements and vitamins encourage a healthier system by balancing hormones and reducing muscle tension. Talk to your doctor about adding one, some, or all of these to your daily routine:

• Magnesium - Magnesium is a necessary mineral our bodies need but don’t produce. When you don’t get enough, it can lead to restless sleep and muscle hyperactivity. Taking magnesium calms the nervous system.
• Calcium - Necessary for bone and tooth enamel health, calcium also pairs with magnesium to promote muscle relaxation.
• Vitamin D - Vitamin D deficiencies and bruxism are intricately linked, with calcium as an innocent bystander. Vitamin D is necessary for the proper absorption of calcium. A deficiency in both can disrupt sleep, increase headaches, and raise the risk of depression.
• Valerian root - This supplement may lower anxiety symptoms and promote a more restful sleep cycle.
• Melatonin - The key hormone in regulating sleep-wake cycles, taking melatonin can reduce nighttime bruxism episodes caused by restless sleep.
• Omega-3 fatty acids - Found in fatty fish and other foods, they are important for overall wellness. For bruxers, this extra supplement reduces inflammation and cellular stress, helping balance the nervous system and reduce grinding.

Whether you choose to add these supplements to your day or not, they’re not the only option you have for natural remedies. Setting your evening up for deep sleep can be a proactive way to minimize grinding.

Pre-Bedtime Routines

Easing into your evening is the ideal way to fall asleep. Enjoying a soothing hot cup of chamomile tea before bedtime sets the stage for this mindset.

Chamomile’s principal active ingredient is the antioxidant apigenin. Acting like a mild sedative, apigenin binds to receptors in the brain that encourage sleepiness and discourage anxious thoughts.

Mindfulness and relaxation techniques before bed are also excellent ways to reduce stress hormones and prepare the body for a good night’s sleep. To signal to your mind and body that it’s time to wind down, consider:

• Journaling
• Listening to soothing music
• Meditating
• Using aromatherapy scents like lavender

Warm baths with scented Epsom salt before bed are also relaxing. Epsom salt soothes achy muscles and reduces tension, while the right scents promote stress relief.

Psychotherapy And Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Stress is the number one reason behind sleep bruxism. Mild stressors might respond to yoga and journaling, but for deeper issues, these at-home stress management techniques are like a band-aid. You can’t trick your brain into believing all is well, so it keeps releasing stress hormones and signaling your muscles to continue clenching and grinding.

Therapy, whether psychotherapy or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), can help you release chronic stress buildup. Research shows that long-term bruxers who received CBT reported lower rates of bruxism (although those who used an occlusal splint alongside their CBT sessions demonstrated even more improvement). 

Biofeedback Therapy

Newer to the scene of bruxism treatments is biofeedback therapy. Studies on this treatment use an intraoral device that monitors grinding, looking for signals that the jaw muscles are tightening. When that happens, a switch triggers electrical stimulation or another stimulus to the lip or skin. The result is a form of “training” the brain not to grind.

The consensus of BFT is mixed. Some studies say it leads to a short-term learned behavior that stops grinding while the therapy continues, but then the bruxism symptoms return. Other studies report that the results are long-term or permanent. If your grinding is severe and nothing else seems to be working, biofeedback therapy might be a solution.

Botox

Botulinum toxin, or Botox, is suggested for more severe cases of bruxism. A small amount is injected into the masseter muscle (the muscle that moves the jaw). Sometimes, it is also injected into the frontalis and temporalis muscles. 

When the Botox kicks in, it reduces tension, aches, and pains in the head (which has made it popular for those with severe migraines). Further studies have linked this treatment to reduced clenching and relaxed facial muscles. 

However, the effects aren’t permanent and usually last 3-6 months. Talk to your doctor about the potential advantages versus drawbacks of this treatment if you’re considering Botox for bruxism.

Physical Therapy For the Jaw

Bruxism can happen when the natural alignment of your bite and spine is disrupted. Like you were told growing up, posture matters! 

The uneven muscle tension from your neck and jaw in the forward position misaligns the TMJ, leading to grinding.

Physical therapy trains you to hold your head naturally. Through jaw stretches, jaw massages, and tongue exercises, your neck and jaw muscles relearn the natural alignment. These manual techniques, when done consistently, can reduce bruxism by anywhere from 30-50%.

Splints For TMJ And Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Splints for temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are different than your typical night guard. Both of these conditions are often entwined with bruxism, but they may be treated distinctly. 

TMDs are a class of over 30 disorders characterized by:

• Clicking
• Locking
• Pain
• Dysfunction of the TMJ

People with chronic TMDs usually receive care from a specialist, who may prescribe a splint. While night guards are thin and protective, cushioning the teeth from grinding, TMD splints are thicker, designed to realign the bite and reduce stress on the joint and muscles.

Obstructive sleep apnea is another type of disorder linked to bruxism. People with OSA often have trouble breathing while they’re asleep. They have episodes called apneas, where their breathing stops and restarts. This shift in sleep cycle triggers grinding episodes. 

Because of this danger, if you have OSA, you should be treated by a doctor, who will likely provide options such as a CPAP machine or a splint to keep your tongue in place and your airway open.

Custom-Made Night Guards

If your reason for seeking something other than a night guard is because you’ve had a bad experience with them in the past, the answer might be as simple as a different type of custom night guard. 

Whether it was fit or cost, there’s a potential alternative that lets you reap the benefits of these oral appliances without the drawback you’re trying to avoid.

Types of Night Guards

If you tried a night guard and didn’t have a good experience, what was the issue? 

It could have been an over-the-counter boil-and-bite guard that was uncomfortable or made the symptoms worse. Custom night guards are designed from impressions of your unique teeth, ensuring a comfortable fit that doesn’t press on your gums or shift your bite like boil-and-bite or one-size-fits-all guards are known to do.

Custom night guards can be uncomfortable, too, though. For sensitive palates and mild bruxing, a soft night guard can still protect your teeth without distracting you from a good night’s rest. Hybrid night guards combine the flexibility and comfort of soft guards with the protection and durability of a hard version. However, the hard night guard, as uncomfortable as it may be at first due to its acrylic material, is an ideal solution for chronic, severe bruxers, who usually say they get used to the fit after a short while.

Cost Considerations

The other factor that often turns people away from night guards is the cost. If your dentist told you a night guard is a good idea, then gave you a prescription for one of theirs at a hefty price, you may have thought your only affordable option was a boil-and-bite or OTC version. 

But there is an in-between!

The same high-quality, professional, custom-fit night guards provided by a dentist are available online at JS Dental Lab, so you never have to leave the house to get your teeth-grinding solution. Because everything is done online and by mail, our night guards are a fraction of the cost of those from a dentist’s office, giving you a comfortable, individualized option to help reduce your bruxing symptoms.

How It Works

Conclusion

You’re tired of the jaw pain from constant teeth grinding, but you want to know if there’s an alternative to the general suggestion of a custom night guard. 

This line of defense is effective, but it’s not for everyone. Now you have 9 other options to choose from, and a variety of night guard styles that might work better than you think. 

If you’re ready to see how the right night guard can solve your bruxism woes, check us out at JS Dental Lab. Our money-back guarantee and $1 trial make it a win either way!

Shop Our Custom-Made Night Guards Today!