Mouthguards
Custom night guards and sports mouthguards
Custom night guards to protect your teeth from grinding and clenching, and custom sports mouthguards that actually fit. Both are worth the upgrade over anything you can buy at the drugstore.
Night guards versus sports mouthguards
We make two very different kinds of guards for two very different jobs. Night guards protect you from yourself, specifically from the forces you generate by clenching and grinding at night. Sports mouthguards protect you from the outside world, from an elbow, a puck, a ball, or a hard fall. The two look superficially similar but are engineered differently.
A night guard is usually made from a firm or semi rigid plastic and is designed to distribute biting forces evenly across all your teeth, take the wear instead of your enamel, and reduce the amount of muscle strain on your jaw joint. A sports mouthguard is built from thicker, energy absorbing material that cushions direct impact and spreads the force of a blow across a wide surface area so no single tooth takes the full hit. Trying to use one as the other does not work well. If you need both, we make both.
Bruxism and why night guards matter
Bruxism is the clinical term for clenching and grinding. It affects a significant portion of the adult population, most commonly at night while you sleep, and most patients who have it do not realize they have it because it happens unconsciously. What they do notice is the aftermath: jaw soreness in the morning, headaches, worn down back teeth, chipped front edges, increased sensitivity, and eventually cracked or broken teeth that need major restorative work.
The forces involved are substantial. Normal chewing generates somewhere around 70 pounds of force per square inch. A hard clench can generate several times that. Subjecting your teeth to that level of force for hours every night slowly destroys the enamel, creates fracture lines that propagate over years, and overloads the TMJ. Untreated bruxism is one of the most common reasons patients end up needing full mouth rehabilitation later in life. A night guard costs a small fraction of that work and prevents most of it.
A night guard does not cure bruxism. It is not designed to. What it does is absorb the forces that would otherwise be absorbed by your teeth and joint, and in doing so, it protects both and reduces the downstream pain. For patients where stress is the underlying driver, we talk honestly about that too. The guard buys time and protection. Addressing the stress is a separate conversation.
Signs you may need a night guard
Common signs we screen for at every exam:
- Flat, worn spots on the biting surfaces of back teeth
- Chipped or jagged edges on front teeth
- A partner who hears grinding at night
- Jaw pain, tightness, or soreness in the morning
- Headaches, especially at the temples
- Tooth sensitivity to cold or pressure
- Cracks or fracture lines visible in enamel
- Gum recession on specific teeth
- A dull aching or ringing in the ears
- Damage to existing fillings, crowns, or veneers
If several of these apply to you, bring it up at your next exam. We can usually confirm the diagnosis from the wear pattern alone.
How a custom guard is made
- Evaluation. We confirm you are a good candidate and choose the right type of guard for your case.
- Digital scan. An iTero digital scan of both arches captures your bite and tooth shape with high precision. No traditional impression material.
- Design and fabrication. The scan is sent to a dental lab that mills or presses your guard from high quality dental polymer. The guard is shaped to fit only your mouth.
- Delivery and fitting. At your second visit, we try in the guard, check the fit, adjust the bite contact points so forces are evenly distributed, and walk you through how to wear and care for it.
- Follow up if needed. If any pressure point shows up during the first week of wear, we make a small adjustment.
Total turnaround is typically two to three weeks from scan to delivery.
Why custom beats drugstore guards
Drugstore boil and bite guards have a legitimate niche for light users and for kids trying a new sport without yet committing to custom equipment. For anyone with meaningful bruxism or a serious athletic commitment, custom is the right call. Here is why.
- Fit. A custom guard is made from a precise digital scan of your teeth. A boil and bite is approximated from a generic tray you softened in hot water. The fit difference is dramatic.
- Comfort. Guards that do not fit well are guards that do not get worn. A custom guard is thin, secure, and stays put. A boil and bite is bulky, pops out, and gets left in the nightstand drawer.
- Material quality. Custom guards use professional grade dental polymers engineered for durability. Drugstore guards use softer, lower quality plastic that often encourages chewing rather than preventing it.
- Force distribution. Custom guards are adjusted so that biting forces are spread evenly across all teeth. Boil and bite guards can create high pressure spots that actually accelerate damage.
- Durability. A custom night guard lasts years. A drugstore guard wears out in months.
- Dentist oversight. A custom guard is part of a clinical relationship. If something changes with your bite or your symptoms, we notice and respond.
Sports mouthguards in detail
The American Dental Association recommends mouthguards for more than two dozen sports, ranging from obvious contact sports like football, hockey, and boxing to less obvious ones like basketball, soccer, skateboarding, and martial arts. Playing contact sports without a mouthguard dramatically increases the risk of tooth loss, lip lacerations, tongue injuries, jaw fractures, and concussion.
The difference between a custom sports mouthguard and a drugstore version is the same difference in fit, comfort, and protection as with night guards, but the stakes of a poorly fitted sports guard are higher. A guard that does not fit gets spit out during play or removed because it interferes with breathing. A custom guard stays in place, does not obstruct speech or breathing, and actually gets worn consistently.
Custom sports mouthguards are particularly worthwhile for athletes who have had orthodontic treatment, wear braces, or have expensive cosmetic dental work they want to protect. They are also the right call for any athlete serious enough about their sport to train hard and not want a preventable injury to take them out.
How to care for your guard
Proper care extends the life of your guard and keeps it hygienic.
- Rinse the guard with cool water after every use
- Brush it gently with a soft toothbrush and a non abrasive toothpaste or mild soap once a day
- Store it dry in its ventilated case, not in a sealed container where bacteria grow
- Keep it away from heat. Never leave it in a hot car or near a heater, since heat warps the material and ruins the fit
- Do not clean with bleach, boiling water, or abrasive cleaners
- Use a denture cleanser tablet once a week for a deeper clean
- Bring the guard to your routine dental visits so we can check the fit and condition
- Replace it when it shows visible wear, no longer fits well, or starts to smell bad even after cleaning
Cost and insurance
Custom night guards and sports mouthguards are flat priced and we quote the fee before we begin. Many dental insurance plans cover a portion of occlusal guards when prescribed for bruxism or TMJ, usually at the basic or major restorative coverage level. Sports mouthguards are often not covered because they are preventive equipment. We verify benefits in advance and explain the expected out of pocket cost. For self pay patients, Cherry financing is available.
Request a mouthguard consultation online. Bring your old guard if you have one and want us to evaluate the fit and wear pattern.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about custom night guards and sports mouthguards.
What is the difference between a night guard and a sports mouthguard?
A night guard is worn while you sleep to protect your teeth and jaw muscles from the forces of clenching and grinding. It is usually a firm or semi rigid plastic tray that covers the upper or lower teeth. A sports mouthguard is worn during athletic activity to protect your teeth, lips, jaw, and brain from direct impact. It is built from thicker, shock absorbing material and is designed to cushion blows. Different jobs, different materials, not interchangeable.
How do I know if I need a night guard?
Common signs include waking up with jaw pain or headaches, flat worn spots on the biting surfaces of your back teeth, chipped enamel on your front teeth, increased tooth sensitivity, a jaw that clicks or pops, a partner who hears you grinding at night, and teeth that feel loose or shift position over time. At your exam we look for the wear patterns that bruxism leaves behind, and if we see them, we recommend a night guard. The fix is much cheaper than the damage grinding eventually causes.
Can I just buy a mouthguard at the store?
For light grinders and kids trying out a sport, store bought boil and bite guards provide some protection. For anyone with meaningful bruxism or a serious athletic habit, custom is significantly better. Store bought guards are bulky, loose, uncomfortable, and often make grinding worse because the soft material encourages more clenching. Custom guards fit precisely, are engineered to distribute forces evenly, and last years longer. The cost difference is real, and so is the value difference.
How long does a custom mouthguard last?
A well made night guard typically lasts three to five years with normal wear, sometimes longer. Heavy grinders wear through guards faster, sometimes in a year or two, which is itself useful information because the guard is taking damage that would otherwise be taken by your teeth. Sports mouthguards last multiple seasons for most athletes. Guards are replaced when they show visible wear, no longer fit properly, or stop feeling secure.
Does insurance cover night guards or mouthguards?
Many dental insurance plans cover a portion of the cost of an occlusal guard when it is prescribed for bruxism or TMJ treatment, typically at the basic or major restorative percentage depending on the plan. Sports mouthguards are often not covered because they are considered preventive equipment rather than treatment. We verify your benefits in advance and walk you through the expected out of pocket cost before we fabricate anything.
Will I be able to sleep in a night guard?
Most patients adjust to a custom night guard within a week or two. The first few nights feel different because you are aware of something in your mouth, but the fit of a custom guard is precise enough that it does not interfere with talking, breathing, or sleep position. Patients with sensory sensitivities may take a little longer. A boil and bite guard is often harder to adjust to than a custom guard because the fit is worse.
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Protect your teeth before the damage is done
A custom night guard costs a small fraction of what grinding damage eventually costs to repair. The math is not close.