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Best Mouth Guard for Teeth Grinding

Danielle Mcleod
Updated October 23, 2023

Mouthguards are a popular option to help alleviate multiple issues with mouth and jaw pain, as well as provide tooth protection. Problems with tooth grinding, in particular, can be troublesome and result in mouth pain and interruptions to your rest. Although your dentist can fit you with custom guards to help protect your teeth, these can often be quite costly, and expensive to replace if anything were to happen to them.

Luckily, there are many alternatives you can turn to without shelling out for an expensive fit. The majority of these options allow for a customized fit as well for a fraction of the cost. The best mouth guards for teeth grinding that can be bought both over the counter and online are reviewed below. These options are popular with consumers for their comfort and ease of use.

1. JS Dental Lab Custom Dental Night Guard – Editor's Choice

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  • Type: Customized Send Away Kit
  • Size: Variable in thickness and material
  • Customizable: Yes
  • Amount: 1 Set

2. Plackers Grind No More Dental Night Guard

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  • Type: Disposable Bite Plate
  • Size: One Size
  • Customizable: No
  • Amount: 16

3. enCore Guards Custom Dental Night Guard

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  • Type: Customized Send Away Kit
  • Size: Variable in thickness and material
  • Customizable: Yes
  • Amount: 1

4. The ConfiDental Pack of 5 Moldable Mouth Guard

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  • Type: At Home Customized Kit
  • Size: 2 sizes, variable thicknesses
  • Customizable: Yes
  • Amount: 5

5. Dental Duty Professional Mouth Guard

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  • Type: At Home Customized Kit
  • Size: 1 size, thin fit
  • Customizable: Yes
  • Amount: 4

Best Mouth Guard for Teeth Grinding

1. JS Dental Lab Custom Dental Night Guard – Editor's Choice

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Highlights

  • Type: Customized Send Away Kit
  • Size: Variable in thickness and material
  • Customizable: Yes
  • Amount: 1 Set

Pros

  • A professional fit for a fraction of the cost
  • Complete control over thickness and material used
  • Fully customizable in 5 minutes

Cons

  • May feel tight at first but will adjust with use

The JS Dental Lab Custom Dental Night Guard is one of the best kits you can buy to fully customize your guard for protection against teeth grinding. The kit comes with all you need to take impressions of your teeth to send off for your guard. You can choose from the thickness of the product, as well as the material it is made out of providing a hard, semi-soft, or soft material. These can last up to 5 years.

Who This is For:

If at-home customization just isn’t working for you, or you want a more durable guard choice, then this is a perfect option. It also comes with unlimited free adjustments.

2. Runner Up – Plackers Grind No More Dental Night Guard

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Highlights

  • Type: Disposable Bite Plate
  • Size: One Size
  • Customizable: No
  • Amount: 16

Pros

  • Can be reused if cleaned properly
  • Flexible and fit the mouth well
  • Provides a good barrier

Cons

  • Do not work with braces
  • May not be enough protection for severe cases of heavy grinding

Plackers’ disposable teeth protection guard is a one-size-fits-all guard that can be used for both top and bottom teeth. They come in a pack of 16, and are perfect for when you are on the go, need alleviation from clenching and grinding, and do not have time to customize the fit. They are designed to work as well as a prescribed bite plate for a fraction of the cost.

Who This is For:

If you find yourself clenching or grinding your teeth, these guards work to provide a barrier between your teeth. They are easy to use and comfortable for a wide variety of mouth sizes.

3. Best Kit Offering Daytime Wear Options – enCore Guards Custom Dental Night Guard

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Highlights

  • Type: Customized Send Away Kit
  • Size: Variable in thickness and material
  • Customizable: Yes
  • Amount: 1

Pros

  • Great range of choices to get exactly what you need
  • Easy to take impressions and fast service
  • Adjustments are free

Cons

  • May seem snug, but adjustments available
  • May not be good for veneers

The enCore Company provides all you need to create customized indentations for a personalized guard fit. With 4 different styles available, you can choose from what is most important to you- such as protection and comfort, as well as the materials your guard is made from. They even offer thin, daytime protection for discretion when working. They also offer free adjustments to ensure you get the best fit.

Who This is For:

If you need a guard for more than just sleeping, you may want to consider this option. Their many choices provide various protection for night and day due to the materials offered.

4. Best At Home Customized Guard – The ConfiDental Pack of 5 Moldable Mouth Guard

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Highlights

  • Type: At Home Customized Kit
  • Size: 2 sizes, variable thicknesses
  • Customizable: Yes
  • Amount: 5

Pros

  • Very protective and long lasting
  • Very comfortable and easy to fit
  • Comes with a protective case

Cons

  • May be tricky to customize the first time

With 2 thicknesses and 5 guards, you can customize your own impressions with hot water and a little patience. These guards are made from a thermoplastic material for a perfect fit. They are soft and easy to trim for a fully customized experience. They come with a protective carrying case, and can be reused over and over with proper care.

Who This is For:

If you are unsure of the fit or thickness you need, this kit provides the options you need to find what works best for your mouth.

5. Best Thin At Home Customized Guard – Dental Duty Professional Mouth Guard

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Highlights

  • Type: At Home Customized Kit
  • Size: 1 size, thin fit
  • Customizable: Yes
  • Amount: 4

Pros

  • Thinner than other options
  • Easy to trim and customize
  • Good for children

Cons

  • Easy to overheat and melt when shaping

These guards are designed to be thinner and smaller than other options to provide a better fit for smaller mouths. Designed for grinding and clenching, they are easy to heat and use for impressions for a customized fit. They also can be easily trimmed for comfort. They come with 4 trays to make multiple impressions for various uses. They also come with a protective case.

Who This is For:

If you have a smaller mouth and are worried about the fit of similar choices, this may be the perfect product to try. The thin fit is designed for a more discrete wear as well.

What is a Mouth Guard?

Mouth protectors, or mouth guards, are a covering for your teeth. They generally fit to your top teeth and help protect the gums, cheeks, tongue, jaw, and teeth in a variety of situations. Popular in athletics, they also are commonly used for nighttime protection to protect against teeth grinding, clenching, relax a tense jaw, and even double as a teeth whitening tray.

Why is Teeth Grinding a Problem?

Teeth grinding, called bruxism in the medical field, is an occasional problem for many people and may be caused by stress and anxiety, as well as an abnormal bite, crooked, or missing teeth. It also can be caused by sleep apnea and require a specialized CPAP mouth guard. When it occurs regularly it can result in a headache, sore jaw, worn down teeth, or even loosened or fractured teeth.

Many people who grind their teeth are unaware they are doing it since it occurs while they sleep, but if you find yourself dealing with a persistent dull headache or sore mouth, you may be doing it without knowing. If you don’t try to solve this problem, over time it can result in costly dental work to help correct the wear and tear on your mouth.

You may want to read: Best Mouth Guard Cleaner

Benefits of Using a Mouth Guard

As mentioned above, a mouth guard provides protection while you sleep. It keeps your top and bottom teeth from having contact to avoid grinding and lessens the pressure of clenching as well. This reduces jaw tension and pain and will reduce headaches and support a healthy sleep pattern. It also can help prevent snoring. In time the use of one can help save money in the long run as you will avoid expensive dental work to correct problems caused by grinding.

Types of Mouth Guards

If you are fit by a dentist or orthodontist for a mouth guard, chances are they will fit you with a laminate or acrylic guard. These are often called nocturnal bite plates or bite splints and are very effective, however, they also can be very costly, and if you don’t religiously use a mouth guard case it is easy to misplace or lose your guard. If a custom-fit guard is not in your budget, or you want to see first if investing in one is worth it, you might want to try another option first.

Stock Mouth Protectors

These are performed in various sizes and ready to wear. They are inexpensive, but cannot be shaped easily for a more comfortable fit.

Boil and Bite Protectors

Made from a thermoplastic material, they can be heated and then shaped to fit your mouth. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and also very easy to customize. Because of this, they are a popular choice for both adults and children.

Customized Bite Protector Kit

These kits require you to take teeth impressions and send them off to the company to make your guards. You often have the chance to choose the materials your guard is made from, as well as various thicknesses.

You may want to read: Best Teeth Whitening Treatments

Conclusion

If you are a tooth grinding, you may have been told you need a mouth guard for sleeping. Unfortunately, a guard at a dentist’s office can be quite pricey and may not be in your budget. Luckily, there are many companies that offer customizable options by sending in your impressions, or doing it at home. You can also choose from ready to use options!

These are easy to find online as well as at many pharmacies. Simply look for mouth guards on Amazon if you are an online shopper to find what you feel would work best for you!

You may want to read: Know About Mouth Guards for Sleeping