A night guard is a custom oral appliance worn during sleep that creates a protective barrier between your upper and lower teeth. It absorbs the force of grinding and clenching so your teeth don't have to. A sports mouth guard serves a different purpose: it shields your teeth, gums, and jaw from impact during athletic activity.

Both are custom-fit at Littleton Family Dental from impressions of your actual teeth. That's the key difference between what we make in-office and what you find at the pharmacy. A custom appliance fits correctly, stays in place, and actually gets worn. At our Littleton office, we've seen firsthand how much damage a well-fitted guard can prevent over time.

For grinders and clenchers:

Most patients who grind their teeth at night have no idea they're doing it. A partner notices first, or a dentist spots the wear patterns during a routine exam. By that point, enamel loss has already started, and enamel doesn't grow back.

A night guard stops that process. It doesn't eliminate the grinding habit, but it redirects the force away from your tooth surfaces. Patients often report that headaches, jaw soreness, and facial tension ease up significantly once they start wearing one consistently. These are common symptoms of bruxism and TMJ strain, and a properly fitted night guard addresses the mechanical cause.

For athletes:

A custom sports mouth guard fits over your teeth and distributes impact across the appliance rather than concentrating it on a single tooth or area of your jaw. It also protects your soft tissue from cuts caused by contact with your own teeth during a collision.

Custom guards are thinner, more comfortable, and fit more securely than boil-and-bite options. That matters because a guard that feels bulky or falls out doesn't protect you.

You likely need a night guard if you:

• Wake up with jaw soreness, facial pain, or tension headaches
• Have a partner who hears you grinding during sleep
• Notice your teeth look flatter or shorter than they used to
• Have been told by a dentist that you show signs of bruxism or TMJ dysfunction
• Clench your jaw during stressful situations throughout the day

You likely need a sports mouth guard if you:

• Play contact sports at any level, including recreational leagues
• Participate in activities with collision or fall risk (basketball, soccer, martial arts, cycling, hockey)
• Have a child or teen in organized athletics
• Have had dental work, implants, or veneers that need extra protection during activity

Some patients need both. If you grind at night and play sports on weekends, we make each appliance separately so each one fits and functions the way it should.

Ready to schedule your visit? Our team at Littleton Family Dental is accepting new patients and would love to meet you. Call now or use the directions above to visit our office in Littleton, CO.

We've been fitting custom guards for Littleton patients for over 26 years. The process is straightforward: we take impressions, send them to a dental lab, and fit your finished appliance at a follow-up visit. If something feels off, we adjust it until it's right.

We also track wear over time. If a night guard is wearing down faster than expected, that tells us something about the severity of your grinding, and we factor that into your overall care. A guard is a tool, not a one-time fix, and we treat it that way.