Hey plastic free folks. I have a question that I wonder if anybody else out there has grappled with. 

My dentist says that I need to wear a night guard because I'm wearing down my teeth by grinding and clenching at night. I used to wear one and HATED it because I woke up with a headache every morning, so I finally just "went rogue" and stopped wearing it, and the headaches went away. I'm not sure if the headaches were caused by something leaching from the plastic (the thing tasted like a toxic waste dump) or if it just made me clench more than before.

Anyhow… that was 15 years ago and while my headaches are much better, apparently my teeth are not, so my new dentist really wants me to wear a night guard again. He swears that they use "better" plastics now that don't leach chemicals… but I am unconvinced. But he's got me scared that I'm going to lose my teeth if I don't wear some sort of a guard at night because my enamel is almost gone in spots.

So… I wonder if anybody has any information on this topic? Does anybody know what the "new groovy" plastic is made from? Or are there any alternatives? I was thinking silicone, but everything I've read says they aren't designed for nighttime use… anybody know more than that? I seriously loathe the idea of having a piece of plastic in my mouth all night every night, but I'm not wild about the idea of losing my teeth either.

Thanks in advance for any info or thoughts that anybody might have!

Cat

The dentist and two of his assistants said they'd contact the company and find out what exactly they are made out of… but that was over a week ago and it's been radio silence, so we'll see.

I'm heartened to know that even the queen of plastic-free living has to make a few exceptions for things like proper dental care!