Review: Encore mouthguard for clenching and grinding teeth
Not long ago, I went to the dentist for a routine visit, and I was told that it looks like I have picked up the habit of clenching my teeth. It was damaging a tooth and they recommended I get a custom fitted mouth guard to use when sleeping. The cost? A whopping $600! That is not affordable, so I went searching for something else.
I first ordered a regular mouthguard that was not custom fitted, but it said that it helps with issues like this. It was cheap, but awful! The thing felt big and bulky in my mouth and I could not sleep with it in. Then I set out on another option to try. I saw that you can get custom made mouthguards on your own. The companies offer the product directly to the consumer, so you skip the dentist office getting a cut off of it. The cost? $150!
There were several companies offering the custom made mouthguards that you do yourself at home. I did some research and read reviews and decided to go with the one made by encore. I first ordered a harder plastic one from them that was pink. I placed the order and within days I received the kit. I had completed the customization process quickly and had it back in the mail the next day. I will not lie, the process to have a custom one made on my own was not quick. My part of handling the kit at home to get the cast was only minutes, but then I sent it in and it was around five weeks before I finally received the mouthguard in the mail. That seems like a long time to me, but I don't know the process or how long I would have waited going through the dentist office.
I got the pink one in the mail and while I liked the color, the mouthguard was way too hard. Ugh. It was just awful to try and sleep with it. I gave up after a few days, because I was losing sleep over it. It was simply too hard and uncomfortable for my preference. I contacted the company to ask if I could possibly get a discount to purchase a softer plastic one, since they already had the cast on file. I explained that I thought it was too hard and it was not going to work for me. Their customer service was great! They responded quickly and tried to help me out. They said that the original one I bought came with a warranty and that I could use it on a replacement of the soft one. Perfect!
Within a week or so, I got the new softer clear one in the mail and immediately I knew it was going to be better! It was bendable and immediately more comfortable when I put it in my mouth. Well, by this time, I had been waking up daily with headaches and a jaw ache, which was coming from whatever I was doing as I slept. After three days of using the soft one those things went away. Yay! The softer one is great and I will be using it nightly.
Overall, while the initial purchase was a bit slow to receive, their customer service and the product is good. I would recommend people checking it out if they need a mouthguard, because it's custom fitted and a fraction of what it costs at the dentist office. You can check them out and order them right here.
Jacqueline
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