Night Guards
A custom guard that takes the grinding, so your teeth do not.
New patients welcome — we'll confirm your time by phone.
Book a night guard fitting→About night guards.
Clenching and grinding at night — bruxism — wears enamel flat, cracks fillings and cusps, and leaves jaws and temples aching in the morning. Most people doing it have no idea until someone points at the wear.
A night guard is a hard acrylic splint made from a model of your own teeth. It does not stop the grinding; it gives the force somewhere to go that is not your teeth, and it lets the jaw muscles settle.
A custom guard is adjusted to your bite; a boil-and-bite one is not.
Guards are cleaned cold — hot water distorts the acrylic.
Bring it to every check-up so the fit and the wear can be looked at.
A guard that makes your jaw ache more needs adjusting, not perseverance.
What actually happens, in order.
The wear pattern, the muscles and the joint are examined — not all tooth wear is grinding.
A scan or impression of both arches, and a record of how your teeth meet.
The guard is adjusted in the mouth until it is comfortable and the bite is even on it.
Checked at your next visit and adjusted as it settles.
Questions we get.
If yours is not here, ask when you book — it is a better answer in person anyway.
How do I know if I grind?
Flattened or chipped edges, teeth that are sensitive in the morning, aching temples, or a partner who hears it. Often the wear is the only clue.
Is a shop-bought guard good enough?
It will protect enamel, but it is not adjusted to how your teeth meet, so it can load the joint unevenly. For a short-term stopgap it is better than nothing.
How long does one last?
It depends entirely on how hard you grind. Some last years; a heavy grinder can go through one much faster. We check it at each visit.
Also under General & Preventive.
Book a night guard fitting.
Send the form and we'll call to confirm a time.