Are you sharing a bed with a person who grinds their teeth in their sleep? Has someone told you that you do? Both of these scenarios can be extremely frustrating, damaging and cause you or your partner to lose sleep.
I’ve definitely experienced both sides of this issue. As a former teeth grinder, I stopped after getting braces and receiving a nightly retainer. When my partner started grinding his teeth, it never occurred to me that he could get help from a similar technique!
I spent countless nights nudging my fiancé, Franky, to wake up and stop his loud and irritating teeth clenching and grinding. This was killing my sleep AND damaging his teeth. To my surprise, I was coincidentally contacted by The Knight Guard to do a review of their product. This Australian brand creates custom ‘night guards’ which are a convenient and an affordable way to protect against teeth grinding while you sleep.
I couldn’t believe the coincidence and after a few email exchanges, our very own impression kit arrived at the doorstep.
Impressions
With putty in each hand, we began the most important step – making sure the retainer is as accurate as possible. Luckily, there was room for errors as The Knight Guard provided spare putty in case of mistakes. We loaded the tray with putty and Franky firmly bit down and held it tight for approximately two minutes. Afterwards, this mould was rinsed with a bit of cold water and placed into a provided airtight plastic bag and a reply paid postage box – ready to be sent back to the lab! The whole process was so easy and I loved the free postage! These guys thought of everything.
The first night
The retainer arrived about a week after I sent the impression off. We opened it up, tried it on and were super impressed with the detail and accuracy. It fit into his mouth perfectly without being too tight or too loose. Keen to get a good night’s sleep I reminded Franky to put on his Knight Guard. To my surprise, he was way ahead of me. Obviously just as excited to stop killing his teeth! The first night was a dream (see what I did there..) – I didn’t wake up which is a good start but I also didn’t get hard evidence that this worked.
The first week
Okay, so this is good.. one week down and no waking up from teeth grinding notices. It must be working, right? The retainer still looks brand new and Franky washes it every morning with a tooth brush and a bit of soap.
Week two
It’s about 3am on a Sunday night, I’m exhausted from a big weekend and now I am woken up by that horrible sound of teeth chipping away. I promptly give my fiancé a good nudge and hope he keeps quiet enough until I fall back asleep. Maybe this thing isn’t always going to work? Did he have a stressful weekend? What are we going to do now?
The next morning as I am getting ready to leave, he mumbles that he forgot to wear his Knight Guard. My faith is restored and I make a mental note to keep it by the bedside.
Summary
It’s been a good fortnight now and I can comfortably say this product works! For all you clenchers and grinders, give it a go! The customisable guards are super affordable, starting at just $129.95. There is a range of guards to choose from, depending on the severity of your grinding.
Custom made by a qualified Dental Technician in Melbourne, you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your home to take an impression of your jaw with the provided Home Impression Kit.There’s also clear instruction videos available online on how to properly take the impressions and send them back. Seriously, these guys have thought of everything.
I’m super impressed and so is Franky and if you ever try it, let me know about your experience with The Knight Guard!
