Protect Your Smile While You Sleep
Grinding and clenching (bruxism) often happens at night — wearing enamel, cracking teeth, and leaving jaws tired and achy by morning. A custom night guard puts a precisely fitted, durable barrier between your teeth, made at our Upper West Side office from detailed impressions of your bite. After delivery, wear it every night — consistency is when tension headaches fade. Rinse daily, brush the guard gently before storing, and bring it to cleanings so professional care reaches the plastic too.
Custom Guard vs. Store-Bought
Boil-and-bite guards are bulky, loose, and wear out fast. A custom guard is made from an exact model of your teeth, stays put through the night, distributes clenching force evenly, and is thin enough to sleep in comfortably. For Upper West Side professionals with deadline-driven grinding phases, it is the difference between waking recovered and waking sore. The morning story common among our patients: jaws loose, temples quiet. Serious grinding is not willpower but physics — redistribute force across an even surface and the muscles fire softer. We diagnose presentationally: flattened canine tips and molar cusps, cheek line ridging, enlarged masseters, and jaw palpation tenderness tell us more than any questionnaire. Sometimes the culprit is alignment; often it is sheer nighttime force. The custom guard addresses the force directly: it cushions, distributes, and protects. Over weeks it also often retrains jaw muscle memory — patients mention that the guard calms the habit, not just absorbs it.
- Precise impressions — a guard that actually stays in
- Harder, longer-lasting materials than store kits
- Protects enamel, fillings, and crowns
- Can reduce morning jaw pain and tension headaches
What to Expect
Evaluation
We examine wear patterns, jaw muscles, and your bite to confirm grinding is the cause.
Impressions
A quick, comfortable set of impressions heads to the lab.
Fit & Adjust
We seat and fine-tune the guard and walk you through home care.
Why Patients Choose Us
Built to Your Bite
Even pressure distribution, fitted from your impressions — not a generic mold.
Honest Diagnosis
If morning pain is TMJ-related instead, we will tell you and treat it accordingly.
Lasting Materials
Lab-grade materials outlast drugstore guards by years.
Thinking about bruxism treatment & night guards?
Appointments are never double-booked — first evaluation includes a written plan with estimated costs.
Signs You Might Be Grinding
Morning jaw soreness, dull temple headaches, chipped or flattened tooth edges, a partner hearing grinding at night, and increasing cold sensitivity are common flags. Some grinding is seasonal — deadlines move jaws as loudly as anything. The right time to fit a guard is when wear starts showing on enamel, not after the first corner chips off. If this sounds familiar, an exam on Columbus Avenue tells us whether a guard, a TMJ evaluation, or both make sense. Guard delivery visits include a warm-up wear test at the chair: we check jaw closing and any rocking contact before you leave, so night one goes right.
- Morning jaw or temple soreness
- Visible tooth wear or chips
- Partner-reported nighttime grinding
- Increasing cold sensitivity
Cost of a Custom Night Guard
A custom guard costs more than the store version and lasts far longer — preventing expensive repairs later. Some insurance plans contribute; we verify yours first. CareCredit monthly plans can spread the rest.
When Grinding Is Part of a Bigger Picture
Bruxism and TMJ disorder often travel together. If needed, we protect your teeth with a guard first, then address the jaw joint with our conservative TMJ approach — least-invasive first, always.
Why Patients Come Here for Guards
Because the fit is done carefully and adjusted until it is comfortable — not rushed out the door. Our never double-booked schedule leaves room for the fine-tuning pass most offices skip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Schedule Your Visit
Appointments are never double-booked — the room is reserved just for you. Book online or call (917) 261-7555.