Will the NTI mouth guard keep my teeth in place?

October 25, 2009 8:18 PM

Will my NTI mouth guard help my teeth stay in place? (Similar to a retainer)

I haven't worn my retainer in many years and recently I have gotten an NTI mouth guard that covers my front four teeth. I wanted to know if those four front teeth will stay in place or will the NTI guard have negative effects to their placement in my mouth.

posted by jModug to Health & Fitness (2 answers total)

I've had and NTI device for about 5 years, and it does seem to act a bit like a retainer for those front four teeth. If I don't wear it for a couple of nights, my teeth shift slightly out of place and it doesn't feel quite right when I put it it. I haven't noticed any negative effects.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 8:33 PM on October 25, 2009

It's not designed to act as a retainer; they claim that chewing during the day will maintain your teeth's pre-NTI position. What does the dentist who made your NTI say? If it turns out to have a negative effect on your tooth alignment, you can probably get it adjusted so that it does not.

The NTI is the single most effective thing I've found to stop my migraines, even if I only wear it once a week. It stops the pain-clench-more pain cycle. I used to have a standard night guard, but it didn't prevent any migraines at all.
posted by Ery at 5:24 AM on October 26, 2009