Falling Apart

I mentioned earlier this year that I was grinding my teeth. At my last dentist appointment my hygienist seemed really concerned about how much I was grinding and that I was grinding my enamel off. They talked to me about getting a mouth guard. A $300 mouth guard. I debated about it for several months and called the dentist to see how much insurance might cover for a mouth guard. $0. Ouch. My mother said multiple times that whatever I could do to keep my teeth healthy and ensure longevity would be money well spent. Memories of my grandmother's false teeth kept running through my mind. I don't want my teeth to fall apart along with getting crows-feet and grey hair.  I made the fitting/mold appointment last month and let them rape swipe my credit card for $300. On Monday I had a second appointment to get fitted again and to take my mouth guard home. The appointment took way longer than I would have liked. The dentist put some kind of mold-fitting in my mouth that smelled like a nail salon. It was awful! The smell was so strong I wanted to choke. After several, "How does this feel?" and adjustments I was able to leave with my new, sexy mouth guard. Some of you may have seen my Instagram shot of the beauty earlier this week.

I don't know why but I was picturing something that looked more like invisalign.

The guard is uncomfortable and awkward and it makes my speech a little slurred but I'm only supposed to wear it to bed. As strange as it felt putting it on, I slept like a baby the first night. I'm not sure how it works exactly but it really relaxes my lower jaw and my bottom teeth don't get anywhere near my top teeth. Last night didn't work out so well. I kept waking up because I was biting my tongue. I'll just have to get used to the dumb thing. I don't know how long I need to wear it; months, years? I can call the dentist if I have any questions but right now I just hope I won't lose anymore teeth length.