Guard for mouth for tooth grinder- are they bad?

[Spirit Dancer]

All my front teeth are totally flat on the top of my bottem and top teeth from unconsciously gritting/ grinding my teeth. It is significant wear. I have also lost 4 small chunks out of my molars from this. I am in my mid twenties and several dentists have said if I do not start wearing a mouth guard my teeth will be worn out in a few decades.

But the guards are plastic and I am really trying to aviod plastic + this plastic would be in my mouth! So does anyone know how bad these guards are? Are other options besides the guard? (Besides wearing out my teeth more).

Anyone? Thanks!

[tanyalynn]

I got cavities at the tops of two teeth because of the flexing--the stress on my teeth from grinding at night. I voted (for me) that the plastic was the lesser of the evils.

I eventually figured out that my grinding is likely related to my amalgams--I've got other health problems from the mercury and grinding is pretty common in mercury toxic people. So I'm hoping it clears up as I deal with that.

Some people get relief from cranial-sacral--they stop grinding altogether (I tried it and it didn't change anything for me).