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Everyday dentistry · Protection
A night guard is a custom-made appliance worn while you sleep to protect your teeth from grinding and clenching. A sports mouthguard does the same job on the pitch or in the ring. Here both are made to a digital scan rather than a putty impression, and normally take two short appointments. Night guards from £395; sports mouthguards from £250.
Guide fee
Night guards from £395
Visits
Two, usually
Made from
An iTero™ or Primescan digital scan
With
All our dentists
Who it is for
A tight or aching jaw first thing, tension headaches around the temples, or a partner who hears you grinding at night are the usual signs. Many people clench without knowing until the wear shows on their teeth.
Flat, worn edges on the front teeth, small chips, cracks in fillings and sensitivity to cold all point to a grinding habit. A guard will not undo the wear, but it stops it getting any worse.
Crowns, veneers, bonding and implants last longer when they are not being ground together at night. We often recommend a guard to anyone who has had cosmetic or restorative work and shows signs of clenching.
Rugby, hockey, boxing, martial arts and cycling all carry a real risk of a knocked-out or broken front tooth. A well-fitting custom mouthguard absorbs far more of the impact than a boil-and-bite one from a sports shop.
The difference
Your teeth are recorded with our iTero or Primescan scanner in a few minutes, with no gagging on impression material. The guard is made against that exact model, so it fits closely and stays in place through the night.
A soft guard suits light clenching and is comfortable from the first night. A combination guard has a soft lining and a hard surface. A balanced hard guard is adjusted so the jaw muscles can rest evenly, for heavier grinders.
Any of our dentists can make your guard, and each checks your bite and the pattern of wear before choosing the design, so the guard addresses the habit rather than merely covering the teeth. Dr Jonathan Davies has a particular interest in tooth grinding, and heavier wear cases are often discussed with him.
Because every appointment here starts with a scan, we can compare the edges of your teeth from one year to the next and see whether the guard is doing its job, and adjust it if it is not.
The process
We look at the wear on your teeth, check the jaw joints and muscles, and talk about when and how you grind. A digital scan of both arches and your bite is taken at the same visit.
The guard is designed on the scan and made on a model printed on our SprintRay printers here. For a sports guard we can choose the thickness and colour to suit the sport and the player.
At the second visit the guard is tried in and the bite checked. A hard guard is adjusted so that the teeth meet evenly on its surface, which is what lets the jaw muscles relax.
We look at the guard again at your next check-up to see how it is wearing, and compare your scans. A guard that is wearing heavily is a useful sign of how hard you are grinding.
Afterwards
A new guard feels bulky for the first few nights and usually becomes unnoticeable within a week or two. Rinse it in cold water after use, brush it gently with a soft brush and keep it in its case to dry. Bring it to every check-up so we can check the fit, and tell us if your jaw or teeth feel different.
Guide fees
Guide fees. Nothing is started until your plan, with every fee written down, is in your hands. See all fees
Good to know
Not usually. Grinding is driven by the nervous system, often by stress, and a guard does not switch it off. What it does is take the wear and the load off the teeth, and a balanced hard guard can reduce the muscle tension that causes jaw ache.
At Sardinia House in Holborn a soft night guard is £395, a combination guard £495 and a balanced hard guard £895. Sports mouthguards are from £250. We recommend the type after examining your teeth, and confirm the fee in writing.
Over-the-counter guards are softened in hot water and bitten into shape, so the fit is approximate and they tend to be bulky. A custom guard is thinner, fits closely and is designed around your bite, which is why people actually keep wearing it.
A soft guard may need replacing every year or two if you grind heavily. A hard guard can last several years with care. Sports guards should be replaced when they are damaged or no longer fit well, and more often for growing teenagers.
Most people adjust within a week or two. We make the guard as slim as its job allows and adjust anything that rubs. If you cannot get used to it, come back and we will look at the fit or the design.
Yes. Children and teenagers who play contact sport benefit from a custom mouthguard, and the scan is quick and easy for them. Because their teeth are still moving, the guard will need checking and replacing more often than an adult's.
Sometimes. If the teeth have worn short or chipped, we may suggest rebuilding them with bonding or crowns, with the guard in place afterwards to protect the work. See our tooth wear page, or ask at your check-up.
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