If you grind or clench at night, wake with jaw soreness, or have TMJ pain, a properly designed custom night guard can change everything. Ours are 3D-printed in our on-site SprintRay lab and designed by Dr. Larsen, who holds a USC Master of Science in Oral Facial Pain.
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A night guard is a custom-fitted dental appliance worn during sleep that protects teeth from grinding and clenching forces, reduces muscle load on the jaw, and can ease TMJ pain for many patients. Bruxism (grinding) and clenching at night are common and often unconscious — many patients only know they grind when a sleep partner tells them, or when they wake with jaw soreness, tooth sensitivity, or morning headaches. Long-term unprotected grinding flattens teeth, cracks them, and accelerates wear that becomes expensive to repair.
Night-guard design matters. A poorly designed appliance can change the bite, fail to address muscle dysfunction, or be uncomfortable enough that patients stop wearing it. A properly designed custom night guard does the opposite: protects teeth, reduces muscle activity, and is comfortable enough to wear consistently. Dr. Larsen's USC Master of Science in Oral Facial Pain & Oral Medicine is graduate-level training in exactly the field that informs night-guard design for TMJ and chronic facial pain patients.
Our guards are produced in our on-site SprintRay 3D-printing lab from digital intraoral scans — no putty impressions. Modern dental 3D-print materials are precise and durable. The same workflow produces sports mouthguards, retainers, and other appliances. Standard turnaround for a custom night guard is typically one to two visits from initial scan to delivery.
The process from first scan to fitted, comfortable guard typically takes one to two visits.
We discuss what's bringing you in — morning soreness, partner reports of grinding, tooth wear, TMJ pain — and examine your teeth for wear patterns. For TMJ-driven cases, a fuller TMJ assessment may be the starting point.
An intraoral scanner captures a 3D model of your upper and lower arches plus your bite — no putty impressions. Takes a few minutes per arch.
The guard is designed digitally based on the diagnosis — different design choices for pure protection vs. TMJ management. The dentist reviews the design before printing.
Production happens on our SprintRay printer. Most guards are ready within a day or two — no two-week wait for an outside lab.
You try the guard, we check fit and bite, and adjust anything that needs refining. Wear it the first few nights and let us know if anything bothers you — small adjustments are easy and improve consistency of use.
Common questions about custom night guards.
Book a free consultation. We'll examine your teeth for wear, ask about your symptoms, and discuss whether a custom night guard is the right fit — or whether you need broader TMJ assessment.