Custom Night Guards | Mouth Guards For Teeth Grinding (2024)

FAQs

Is it worth it to get a custom night guard? ›

Wearing a custom-fitted mouth guard may protect your teeth from damage and relieve stress on your jaw muscles as you sleep. Durability: Opting for a custom mouthguard is smart due to its long-lasting nature and exceptional worth. Despite frequent use, it remains resilient, retaining its shape and protective properties.

This mouthguard will perfectly fit your unique mouth structure, providing you with optimal comfort and protection. Custom-made mouthguards are fairly expensive, with costs ranging from $300 to $800. This price is based on the professional-grade materials and labor involved in creating your mouthguard.

If a mouth guard doesn't fit right, it can potentially move your teeth out of their current alignment, and if the mouth guard doesn't match your bite, it can cause even more pressure on your teeth when you grind them.

Do you suffer from chronic headaches or jaw pain because you clench your teeth? If so, a custom night guard might be the answer. Wearing a mouth guard for jaw clenching and teeth grinding can help protect your teeth from excessive wear and provide relief from temporomandibular joint pain.

Cortese, sometimes night guards “cause[s] the posterior teeth to touch the guard's plastic while the anterior teeth hardly touch the guard or do not touch it at all. The unevenness of tooth contact with the night guard can lead to even more clenching, grinding and TMJ problems.”

Your insurance should cover the cost as long as your dentist deems a nightguard medically necessary. Generally, nightguards are anywhere from $300 to $1,000, depending on your dentist, location, oral health concern, and insurance plan.

Dental mouth guards are costly due to the use of high-quality, durable materials. These materials offer superior tooth protection and can be pricier than those in over-the-counter options.

What you're paying for is the customization of the bite guard, which is what makes it effective. For a patient with severe symptoms, it can take anywhere from three to five appointments to properly adjust the bite guard. This is the biggest reason for the variation in fee. The more severe the case, the higher the cost.

While the dental night guard does not fully prevent clenching and grinding, the 2-4 millimeter tooth separation provided by night guard means that the jaw muscles can not be fully engaged so many people often have less of an urge (conscious or not) to clench or grind.

Why do my teeth hurt after wearing a night guard? ›

In most cases, this happens because you're wearing an over-the-counter or boil-and-bite mouth guard. These types of mouth guards aren't customized for your mouth, so they might not fit the shape of your teeth properly, causing them to dig into your gums. Switching to a custom guard could fix this issue.

In the beginning, you may notice that your bite feels different after a new night guard and when you remove the night guard in the morning. This sensation is completely natural, and your bite should feel normal again within a few hours.

Over-the-counter night guard – There are two basic types of OTC night guards / mouth guards. The first type is the one-size-fits-all variety, designed to fit most mouth types. The second type is the boil-and-bite night guard, which must be softened with heat and then molded into shape to fit your teeth.

In conclusion, choosing between an upper or lower night guard depends on your bruxism patterns. If you experience clenching, an upper night guard is often the better choice. However, a lower night guard may provide more comprehensive protection if you also grind your teeth.

A common misconception about night guards is that it's normal for them to be uncomfortable, even custom-designed devices, and that you need to "just get used to it" as a wearer. This is untrue and typically is caused by an improperly fitted night guard.

Most dentists recommend replacing custom night guards every 1-2 years, depending on how often they are used. That said, signs that it's time for a replacement may appear sooner if you notice any changes in the fit or shape of your mouthpiece over time.

With good care, a high-quality mouthguard may last for three to five years. Looking after your mouthguard can help you to get more wear out of it. This means keeping it clean, and not leaving it in the sun or in really hot temperatures, which can cause the material to perish and weaken.

High-Quality Materials

Dental mouth guards are costly due to the use of high-quality, durable materials. These materials offer superior tooth protection and can be pricier than those in over-the-counter options. Material choices may vary based on specific wearer needs, further affecting the cost.