5 Best Night Guards to Save Your Teeth & Stop Headaches

We all want to protect our beautiful smiles, but has your sleep mate ever mentioned that you grind your teeth at night? Do you sometimes wake up with headaches, a stiff neck or a sore jaw? Perhaps your fingers tingle and you don’t know quite why. If any of these sounds true for you, Bruxism might be the cuplprit. Sometimes it results in broken teeth, in addition to other aches and pains, but a night guard could be the answer to protecting your chompers, and having less pain during the day.

I’ll be honest. My dentist is going to be furious with me when he reads this, because he’s a good guy, who has tried hard to help me deal with my uncontrollable night clenching. After carefully molding my mouth, he produced a custom-fitting night guard intended to prevent tooth damage. I can say with some certainty that when I saw the $300 bill for this little piece of plastic, I was pretty clenchy for more than a week afterward.

Bruxism, (aka. clenching and grinding,) can be a serious issue, and it seems to be more common all the time. According to the American Dental Association, stress is often a causative factor, and who doesn’t have lots of that? Aside from the obvious, which is the fact that Bruxism is really hard on your teeth, (as well as any dental work you might have,) it can also inflame your temporomandibular joints. TMJ irritation can result in symptoms from face pain, headaches and nausea, to tingling in your hands and fingers.

While massage therapy for TMJ pain can provide some relief, a fitted mouth guard for teeth grinding can be a great preventive measure that protects your teeth, minimizing lots of those other symptoms. Unfortunately, with the price most dentists charge, lots of people simply can’t afford one. Take heart, there are quite a few excellent night guards that you can customize yourself, and many cost less than $20.

Believe it or not, these bite splints work nearly as well as that spendy model you can get from the dentist, they just don’t bust your budget. We’ll look at several types here, at a variety of price points, including a professionally molded version at just a little over a hundred bucks.

Many deliver a custom fit, because you first soak them in almost boiling water, and then mold and suction them to your teeth. And no, we’re not talking about those huge, bulky athletic mouth guards, although in a pinch, one of those can stand in for a day or two, if necessary.

The night guards we’ll show you are compact, well rated, and many come with anti-microbial storage cases convenient for travel. Not only will they keep you from wearing down or breaking your teeth in your sleep, they’ll help you avoid those other headache triggers – like paying for a dentist appointment and follow up, as well as missing work.

What are the best night guards?

1. Amazon’s Choice: Dental Duty Professional Dental Guard – $9.99 for 4-Pack

Dental Duty

Pros:	Cons:
Comes in two sizes for a better custom fit Helps to prevent clenching and grinding Includes an anti-bacterial travel case Satisfaction guarantee	They can stick together when heated in water They’re a little on the thick side Smaller sized guards are too small for most adult mouths Would be better if you could buy four packs of single sizes

This easy to use night guard is one of our favorite picks for a couple of reasons. First, it’s super easy to mold to your teeth simply using heated water. Second, this pack is less than ten bucks, and it comes in two sizes, making it easier to get the right fit for your mouth. Third, it comes with an anti-bacterial travel case so it’s easy to take with you when you’re on vacation.

In addition, this package contains four guards, so if you and your sweetie both grind your teeth at night, you probably each need different sizes. This gives you two of the larger guards and two of the smaller ones. These guards can also act as athletic mouth guards and teeth whitening trays as well.

Made of BPA free material, it easily adjusts for a custom fit. It features a two layer design – the top layer, which molds to your teeth, and a durable bottom layer which helps to prevent wear on both the guard and your teeth. This mouth guard is also better than many at making speech easier and more understandable – a plus if you also wear it during the day to prevent grinding or clenching.

Buy the Dental Duty Professional Dental Guard here.

2. Amazon #1 Best Seller: DentaPro2000 Teeth Grinding Mouth Guard – $16.85

Amazon

Pros:	Cons:
Amazon #1 Best Seller Three pack of guards suitable for most mouth sizes Comes with an anti-bacterial case Effectively stops grinding, clenching and minimizes TMJ symptoms	A bit more expensive than some Kind of bulky for smaller mouths Can be a bit difficult to fit to your teeth Material can be difficult to cut down

It might seem counterintuitive to think that a team of dentists would design a cheap and easy to use night guard, even though it meant they’d make less money selling those super expensive ones. That might be why the DentaPro2000 mouth guards for teeth grinding are an Amazon #1 Best Seller. They fit well, and do the trick.

Made from a BPA and latex free pliable silicone material, these mouth guards are slimmer and more flexible than many, making them more comfortable to wear at night. They help stop clenching and ginding from ruining your smile, and you’ll wake up sans headache and TMJ pain because if them.

Simple to adjust for a custom fit, this package comes with three guards, which are suitably sized for mosty mouths, along with an anti-bacterial storage case. As with out previous choice, they’re also suitable for athletic use, and as teeth whitening trays.

Buy the DentaPro2000 Mouth Guard for Teeth Grinding here.

3. Top Rated: Grind Guards Custom Lab Made Dental Night Guard – $109.99

Grind Guards

Pros:	Cons:
Professional grade at less than half price Custom fit to your exact mouth Effectively reduces grinding and clenching Five thickness and material choices	The most expensive of those reviewd Takes a bit more time to get your night guard May fit slightly tight at first Must be very careful when creating your mold

You know the old saying, you get what you pay for. That might be the case in point with this professional grade night guard that’s a bit more expensive, but still less than half of what you’d pay to have your dentist make one. This night guard kit allows you to mold your mouth, and send those molds back to a professional dental lab. You get a night guard exactly like your dentist would make, without taking time off work for an appointment.

Made to the exact impression of your teeth, you can skip the boil and bite style guards, and have something that truly fits. The other thing that’s super cool about this night guard system is that you can choose between five different types of guards that vary in thickness and materials, from soft rubber to hard acrylic, with the most popular being the hybrid guard that features unique dual laminate material that’s soft on the inside but hard on the outside.

The precise fit mouth guards eliminate teet clenching and grinding while you sleep, but they can also be made thin enough that you could wear them in the daytime if you have severe TMJ issues. Their perfect fit, added comfort and wicked customer service skills all add up these being top rated among all th guards reviewed.

Buy the Grind Guards Custom Lab Made Dental Night Guard here.

4. Best for First Time Users: DenTek Platinum Ultimate Comfort Dental Guard Kit – $30.90

DenTek

Pros:	Cons:
No bite and boil necessary Helps prevent grinding and clenching Naturally guards against cheek biting adjustable fit band	Expensive for fewer night guards Doesn’t custom fit to your molars Not as long lasting as other molded night guards Not suitable for athletic use

If having something bulky in your mouth is an issue at night, this night guard from DenTek could be the answer for your clenching and grinding issues. With no need to boil and bite to create the correct fit, you can simply adjust the band to give you maximum comfort with a minimum of fuss.

This mouth guard prevents you from grinding your teeth with a slim panel that protects both your upper and lower teeth from touching. One thing we think makes this mouth guard unique is the side design, which also helps to prevent you from biting your cheeks in your sleep – a definite bonus.

While not as highly rated as the moldable mouth guards, this one is adjustable for even children’s mouth sizes. It’s also a good choice for a first time user, because there’s no difficulty dealing with molding it to fit. Both BPA and latex-free, it features a nicely cushioned bite pad, a two way adjustable band and contoured bumpers on the sides. This package gives you two night guards, plus an anti-microbial case to store them in.

Buy the DenTek Platinum Ultimate Comfort Dental Guard Kit here.

5. Editor’s Favorite: The Doctor’s Advanced Comfort Night Guard – $13.20

Amazon

Pros:	Cons:
Super easy to mold and fit Slim design doesn’t feel bulky in your mouth Two layer technology helps prevent grinding Comes with a storage case	Just one night guard per pack Should be replaced every six months May not be big enough for larger mouth sizes Need to be careful during molding to avoid a burned tongue

One of the biggest things we hate about boil and bite night guards is the molding process, which can be super frustrating, difficult and can often fail. That’s what makes this night guard from The Doctor’s a great choice for those among you who have little patience with this sort of thing. This one doesn’t get all rubbery and fold over on itself, once its had a boiling water dip.

I’ve used this reliable night guard for camping and travel, when I’m frankly too darned scared to lose the $300 one. And because it’s super comfortable, I even wear it at home a lot. The two layer design has a soft moldable inner layer, and the firmer bottom layer prevents clenching and grinding, so you don’t damage your teeth.

This night guard is so much slimmer than many on the market, so it’s comfortable in your mouth while you sleep. And this mouth guard has an added comfort bonus, due to the slanted front design. Basically that means there’s less coverage of your front teeth, so less intrusion on your gums and lips.

While you only get one guard, and a storage case, out of many we tried, this was the simplest, and most comfortable design at a super affordable price.

Buy the The Doctor’s Advanced Comfort Night Guard here.

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