Customer Reviews

PROFESSIONAL CUSTOM DENTAL NIGHT GUARD FOR BRUXISM (Grinding Teeth) SLEEP GOOD. PROTECT YOUR TEETH FROM NIGHT GRINDING

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yes, I grind my teeth at night, something my pert little dental hygienist feels compelled to nag me about every time I'm in for a check-up. The thing is, the night guards that the average dentist office wants to make for you cost upwards of $500! Can you believe it? $500 for a little bite-sized piece of polymer! So, when I happened across this product on Amazon.com for a fraction of the cost, I thought about it for a good, long while. Then I dismissed the notion, assuming that it was probably no different than those do-it-yourself jobbies that are commonly available at your local pharmacy. I tried one of those once, where you boil the stuff and then chomp down on it to mold it to your bite. The biggest problem with it was that the end-product was so bulky and awkward that it felt like I was sleeping with a Cadillac Escalade in my mouth.

Studying this item a little more closely, and reading the (then) sole review, I eventually got off the fence and decided to give it a try. And... I was pleasantly surprised! The kit arrived in my mailbox promptly, with all the necessary components, instructions and a post-paid return mailer. Making the impression was a little dicey (make sure that you lean back and relax while the polymer sets -- otherwise you might gag and/or drool a bit), but once it hardened (5 minutes), it popped right off without incident. Then, after a cold rinse of water to help the material set harder, I was shipping it back to the seller, who speedily returned to me a compact little guard (just like one that you'd get back from your dentist's lab) and a protective case. It works great!

One note: I experienced a slight reservation when I noted that: 1] the seller (Touch of White Smile) appears to work out of his/her home (a residential address -- or so it seemed -- on the return mailer), and 2] the home-made instructions needed a little tweaking in the grammar/spelling department. However, whether the seller is a dental student or a professional who works at home to save on overhead or simply an enterprizing entrepreneur, the product I received is in every way a good one, and not the only item offered in this seller's line: whiteners and sports guards are also his/her forte. So, if you suffer from Bruxism (I assumed it was named after some early scientist/dentist guy named "Brux" who coined the term, but Wikipedia says that it's "from the Greek "brugmós" which means "gnashing of teeth"), and you don't want to pay a zillion times too much at your dental office, then give this seller a try.

The device I received was defective. It has painfully sharp edges and an uncomfortable ridge right where the tongue rests. I can not keep it in my mouth for more than a few seconds without it being overly irritating.

Buyer beware - you may get a good product. But if you do not, the company will not work with you to correct the problem. Also, please note there are no instructions for what to do if you are unhappy - you are on your own and out $60.

** UPDATE **
Well it took a little time, but Amazon pulled through for me (thanks Amazon - you guys rock!). I submitted a claim file, which was originally "refused" by Amazon after they contacted "Touch of White Smile". I then submitted a rather lengthy rebuttal to Amazon, indicating my position and clearly communicating all the facts. Amazon looked into the matter and after a more careful review they agreed with my position and provided a full refund. It is unfortunate that the folks at "Touch of White Smile" could not have been more sensitive to their customers and done this on their own.

Like I said originally - Buyer Beware!

** UPDATE #2 **
I have to question the validity of many of these other "reviews". Seriously, the vast majority of these reviews are by single review, reviewers (I know - sounds odd). But just take a look at all of the people who have signed up, posted a single & positive review about this one item and nothing else - EVER. It is more than a little strange, it is scandalous.

When my dentists told me I had to get a guard to keep from grinding for $500 I almost fell out. I have have 5 fillings replaced because of my grinding so what am spost to say, no thanks..they got me by my short and curlies. Or do they? This product is almost if not exactly what my dentist was going to do. Create a mold, ship it off, get the final product, charge me $500 thank you very much. Now for $50, I get the same result and get a professionally designed grind guard molded to my teeth. I have posted images with notes above please check them out cause they are WAY better than the picture they use on this page. What comes with this product when you buy it:

1) Molding putty (2 containers blue/white that are blended together in mold)
2) Molds (1 large/1 small)
3) Prepaid padded envelope to mail back mold after imprint
4) Printed instructions ( bad picture quality on the pics printed on them but you get the idea)

Mixing/molding = easy just be aware when you push this into your mouth and push it up against your teeth the putty has to go somewhere when it is displaced. I found the extra trying to go down the back of my throat the fist time and had a gag thing going on. Popped out the mold, reshaped the putty to a more reasonable shape and had waaaay better time. The mold came out very easy. See above pic of results.

Sent back molds (they want back the one you don't use also) in the provided prepaid envelope and got it back in about 8 days.

Very happy with it, very solid, and looks like it will take the wear and tear that it should. Should I be proven wrong I will write an update with the life span. The clock starts today (2/14/11).

This is a top quality product and it's comparable, if not better, to what you would get from your dentist.

This is way better than any mouthguard you can get from the drugstore. It fits your teeth perfectly and isn't bulky. I had problems with drugstore mouthguards falling out of my mouth while I slept, but this one fits like a glove and is comparable to something you could get from your dentist for much more money. I only had two problems throughout the process. When I was making my mold, I thought I needed to use ALL of the putty provided. I was using the small mold try and it was way too much. I was gagging and excessively drooling the whole 5 minutes I had to keep the mold in my mouth but I suffered through. I think I would have gotten a better mold if I had used less putty so the excess wasn't making me gag, but my mouthguard still fits fine. Another thing I don't like about it is I wish the manufacturer would have contoured the edge of the mouthguard that sits on the roof of your mouth. It's hard to explain, but when you get yours you'll see what I am talking about. It's not a jagged or sharp edge, but it scrapes your tongue whenever you swallow. I couldn't stand it so I heated up a spoon and melted the edge into a smoother contour and it's ok now, but I'm willing to bet the manufacturer could created a smoother edge than I could.

[Sorry that I am kind of lazy in writing reviews -- I usually do not write reviews, because I agree with most reviews with the products I have purchased on Amazon. However, I have decided this time that I need to write a review for this product, because this product has some serious problems, at least in my opinion, and that has not been mentioned by other reviewers. It is very possible that many other reviewers have not realized the problem with this product yet. See my review below -- how often you would lift your upper lip to examine your upper gums?]

Background Information:
=======================
I purchased this product in late July 2011. It took about 2 weeks for me receive the molding kit. Another 2~3 weeks for me to receive the actual product. I started using it at the beginning of September 2011. The product is designed to fit your top teeth, and it fits my top teeth very well. However, here are the problems:

1) It is VERY tight. It does not fall off during night. That's good. However, when waking up in the morning, I always feel that my teeth (especially several of my front teeth) have been pulled inward. It seems that the tightness of this product has made my teeth shifted, especially the front ones. This tight feelings of my teeth will last most of the mornings. By late evening, the feeling of my teeth will go back to normal. However, the next morning, the feeling of teeth shift will start over again.

2) After wearing for 1~2 weeks, I start to feel a little strange on my upper teeth. One day, I was curious, and I lifted my upper lip to check it out in front of a mirror. I was horrified at what I saw. I saw that my upper gums have receded significantly. With the gums receding, I saw these big gaps in-between the bottom of my upper front teeth. (For those who have already used this product, please check with yourself. People do not usually lift their lips to see this, and I am sure that I am not the only one have this problem).

I contacted this seller right away about my problem. To my surprise, the person ("Matt") wrote me back and ask me to use Google to do "research" myself, because he thinks it has nothing to do with the product. Also, he claims that [quote] "We are not a dentist and only made a guard that you wanted". The seller insisted that "The guard does fit well and is working to protect the teeth, it is not defective and custom to your mouth. If the guard was lose, it would fall out at night and you could choke on it. It should fit snug to your teeth which you have stated it does."

I concluded that using this product will cause more problem than getting the benefit, because I know gum recession will cause teeth to lose, and the daily teeth shift will fasten this process. Loosing teeth (especially my front teeth) is a lot more serious than grinding them (usually in the back). Also, I will check with my dentist (and this seller recommended that, ironically).


My Frustration
================
I am frustrated in dealing with the seller. There is no "customer service" from this company. I have emailed him several times, and every time he will only use the masked Amazon notification email to communication with me. Hence, this "company" does not even have a company email for you to work with, and there is not a phone number or a Web site. The only person replied my email was "Matt".

When I ask for refund, he refused because [quote] "So what sort of guarantee do I have that if I give you a refund you still won't create a bad review". That's a strange English, but I know what he means. He wants to make sure that the refund will be issued only if I guarantee to him that I will not write a bad review. No wonder this product has all of the 4~5 stars. No one has ever written bad reviews because this seller will make sure these people will shut up by issuing them refund.

For me, I am not getting the refund, and I am speaking up for the rest of the world to see.

Also, I strongly suspect that this company reuses all of their molding kits -- as some of other reviewers have already suggested. The molding kit I have received included a wrinkled instruction sheet, along with the molding pieces. Nothing was sealed. Reuse the instruction sheet is OK with me. However, I just do not feel comfortable to use the molding kit that has been in others' mouth before. I had to wash molding kit several times because I just do not like the thought that these pieces have been in others' mouths before. I really hoped that I have washed away the gems left by others. Since the instructions specifically ask you to mail everything back, I know the pieces I have used will be used again by new customers in the future. Yikes.

I wanted to try this before shelling out for the pricier dentist guard. The molds came, and I successfully molded my teeth so I was optimistic. The guard was promptly shipped back, so nothing wrong with the timing. However, the guard is too tight, and leaves a line imprinted into my gums. Parts of it are sharp and very uncomfortable. Not only that, but I ignored it and wore it for a full night and woke up with my teeth feeling loose after being pushed in all night. I also woke with a headache, which was the very symptom I was trying to prevent with a guard. The old saying remains true, you get what you pay for. Go cheap, get ill-fitting. Don't waste the money like I did.

I don't normally take the time to write a review. However, in this case, I am happy to report my experience in this product. I was appalled when my dentist told me that a night guard would cost $800. I didn't act on his recommendation for nearly 2 years. Finally, I decided to check out other options. Based on the positive reviews of this product, I purchased and followed the instructions provided to make the impression. It was very simple and took approximately 5 minutes. I wasn't sure what to expect, but when I received the product, I was thrilled! I was sad that I hadn't ordered a 2nd one, but the kind sellers emailed me that I would still be able to order a 2nd one if I acted quickly since they only keep the impressions for 2 months. I got my night guard from them 6 days ago, and I actually enjoy wearing it at night, knowing that I am no longer wearing away the enamel of my teeth. I am a picky person and I can tell you that this product is the same quality as the dentist would make. In fact, I discussed with a friend of mine who had bought a night guard from her dentist for $500 and she stated that the process of making the impressions was the same as the impressions that I made in my own home.
Yes, this night guard is a professional product and customized for your teeth. I have already convinced my sister to get one made and my friend will be ordering one soon too! I cannot state enough how pleased I was with the product and the service. Thank you seller!

Well worth the money. I have been told by dentist to buy a night guard ($550) was the going rate. I saw this and thought I would give it a try. Not expecting much for the price but I was surprised. Making the impressions was a snap and the night guard is the same as if I bought from my dentist for $550. Would highly recommend this product.

The night guard is comfortable, well fitting. I would have given it a 5 except that the upper rear of the guard is sharp, irritating my tongue. Any suggestions about how to make this upper rear surface smooth?