Custom Mouth Guards

We make custom-fitted night guards to alleviate stress on the temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) which may be resulting in soreness or pain.

Throughout all the stresses that we put our joints through, patients may not realize that the soreness or pain they are experiencing in their jaw or ears may be due to stresses on their Temporal Mandibular Joint. We custom fabricate appliances to help alleviate those stresses and prevent further damage and pain.

Bruxism is a condition that causes clenching and/or grinding of teeth. This causes additional, unnecessarily stress on tooth surfaces and can lead to TMJ pain. Often, people with bruxism are unaware that they are clenching or grinding their teeth, especially if it happens during sleep. A night guard is a removable acrylic appliance that can help provide relief from temporomandibular joint pain and other effects of grinding the teeth. The night guard is usually worn at night to prevent grinding of the teeth during sleep.

Pre-formed, ready-to-wear mouth guards can be purchased inexpensively at many sporting stores, but they do not always fit well. They can be uncomfortable and can interfere with talking and even breathing.

Sporting goods stores also offer semi-custom mouth guards in which the plastic is heated and then the athlete bites on it while still warm to provide some level of custom fit.

Our office can make a custom mouth guard by taking an impression of your teeth and then creating a device fitted to your mouth for the highest level of both comfort and protection. A custom fitted mouth guard can be particularly important for athletes who wear braces.

Be sure to bring your mouth guard to your dental appointments, so we can be sure it still fits you well.