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Waking with a sore jaw, tight facial muscles, or a dull headache near your temples
Night Guards · Tustin, CA
Waking up with jaw pain? Your teeth are trying to tell you something.
Custom night guards in Tustin, CA from Dr. Marta Rudat protect your teeth from nighttime grinding and give your jaw a rest.
A night guard is a custom-fitted appliance worn while you sleep that cushions your teeth against grinding and clenching (bruxism). At Dr. Marta Rudat DDS in Tustin, CA, night guards are made from precise impressions of your teeth and calibrated to your bite, protecting enamel and easing the jaw strain behind morning headaches.
Written by the Dr. Marta Rudat DDS team · Medically reviewed by Marta Rudat, DDS, practicing in Tustin for 15+ years. Last reviewed July 2026.
Signs
Signs you grind your teeth at night
Grinding happens while you sleep, so the evidence shows up in the morning and in the mirror:
Some clenchers show no obvious damage for years, which is why Dr. Marta checks wear patterns at every routine exam. Plenty of night-guard conversations start with her spotting a wear facet you never felt, part of the general and preventive care her patients get at each visit.
Stakes
What untreated grinding does over time
Grinding puts hundreds of pounds of force on teeth for hours at a stretch, and enamel doesn't grow back. Left alone, bruxism flattens chewing surfaces, thins enamel until teeth turn sensitive, and cracks teeth and fillings.
A grinding-cracked molar is one of the most common reasons patients end up needing a crown. Severe cracks can cost the tooth entirely. The jaw pays too, with strained muscles and an overworked joint that can develop clicking and soreness.
A night guard doesn't stop the grinding habit itself. It takes the punishment so your teeth don't, which is exactly the trade you want.
Custom night guard
Comparison
Custom vs. store-bought night guards
If you'll only ever spend $25, a drugstore guard beats nothing. If you're solving the problem, the exam plus a calibrated fit is what makes the dentist version worth the difference.
Process
Getting your night guard: two easy visits
- 01
Exam and impressions.
Dr. Marta examines your teeth, wear patterns, and jaw, confirms a night guard is the right tool, and takes precise impressions. If grinding has already cracked something, you'll know now, while the fix is small.
- 02
Fitting.
About two weeks later your guard comes back from the lab. Dr. Marta fits it, adjusts the bite until it seats comfortably, and you sleep in it that night. Most patients adapt within a week, and follow-up tweaks are quick if anything rubs.
Why Dr. Marta
Fitted by the dentist who knows your bite
A night guard is only as good as the bite it's built for. Dr. Marta Rudat has cared for Tustin patients for more than 15 years. When she makes your guard, she's working from your exam history:
- ·which teeth show wear
- ·which fillings and crowns need protecting
- ·how your jaw closes
She also keeps watching at every checkup, because the guard's wear pattern tells her how hard you're really grinding.
Dr. Marta Rudat, DDS
Cost
What does a custom night guard cost in Tustin?
Dentist-made custom night guards typically run $300 to $800 in Orange County, depending on material and design. Many PPO dental plans cover night guards partially when there's documented grinding damage. Our front desk verifies your benefit before anything is made.
Weigh that against the restorative math: a single grinding-cracked molar usually means a crown, and repeat damage costs multiples of what the guard does. You'll have your exact number after the exam, before the impressions.
Typical local ranges
- Drugstore$15–$30
- Online kits$100–$200
- Dentist-made custom$300–$800
These are area ranges to orient you; you'll get your exact number after the exam and before the impressions.
TMJ note
Night guards and TMJ pain
Jaw clicking, soreness, and morning tightness often improve with a night guard, since it reduces the overnight load on the joint and muscles. TMJ disorders have several causes, though, and a guard manages symptoms rather than curing the condition.
If your jaw pain is severe, persistent, or comes with locking,
Dr. Marta evaluates it properly and tells you whether a guard, another treatment, or a specialist is the right next step.
Frequently asked
Night guard questions, answered.
Morning jaw soreness, headaches near the temples, flattened or chipped teeth, and a partner hearing you grind are the classic signs. A dental exam settles it: wear patterns on your teeth show grinding clearly, even when you sleep through every episode.
In the Tustin area, dentist-made custom guards typically run $300 to $800 depending on material and design. Drugstore guards cost $15 to $30, and online kits $100 to $200, with the trade-offs in fit, durability, and the absence of an exam.
Often partially, when grinding damage is documented, though coverage varies widely by plan. The front desk verifies your specific benefit before your guard is made, so you know your out-of-pocket cost up front.
Typically, 3 to 5 years, and heavy grinders may wear one faster. Dr. Marta checks the guard at your routine visits; a chewed-through guard has done its job, since that wear would otherwise be on your enamel.
It can ease TMJ-related symptoms like morning soreness by reducing overnight strain on the joint, and many patients feel a clear difference. It manages symptoms rather than curing the disorder, so persistent or severe jaw pain deserves a proper evaluation first.
The first few nights feel odd, and most patients stop noticing it within a week. Custom guards are slimmer than store-bought ones, which is a big part of why people actually keep wearing them.
Protect your teeth while you sleep
Protect your teeth while you sleep.
Enamel doesn't grow back, and grinding doesn't take nights off. One visit gets your teeth examined, your questions answered, and your guard started.
Dr. Marta Rudat DDS · 1076 E First Street, Suite D, Tustin, CA 92780
Request a visit
Book a visit for a custom night guard in Tustin.
Prefer to talk to a person? Call (714) 665-4200 during office hours.
Dr. Marta Rudat, DDS