Night Guards

Waking up with jaw pain? Your teeth are trying to tell you something.

Custom night guards from Dr. Marta Rudat protect your teeth from nighttime grinding and give your jaw a rest.

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Quick Answer

A night guard is a custom-fitted appliance worn while you sleep that cushions your teeth against grinding and clenching (bruxism).. TAt Dr. Marta Rudat DDS, 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.

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:

Waking with a sore jaw, tight facial muscles, or a dull headache near your temples

Teeth that look flattened, shorter, or worn at the edges

New chips or cracks, or fillings that keep breaking

Tooth sensitivity from thinned enamel

A partner who hears the grinding at night, which is often the first clue anyone gets

Clicking or soreness in the jaw joint

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.

Over the Counter

Drugstore boil-and-bite

$15–$30

Typical retail range

An inexpensive option you shape at home. Over-the-counter guards can provide a barrier between the teeth, but getting a comfortable, clinically acceptable fit can be difficult without professional guidance.

At-Home Custom

Online custom kits

$100–$200

Typical online range

Made from an impression you take at home, so the guard can be formed to your teeth. Unlike an in-office appliance, the process may not include a dental examination, evaluation of your bite, or in-person adjustment and follow-up.

Dentist-Made

Custom night guard

$300–$800

Typical professional range

Starts with an examination of your teeth, wear patterns, jaw, and bite. Your guard is professionally fitted and adjusted for comfort, with follow-up available if the fit or bite needs refinement.

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 standing beside an outdoor staircase in Tustin, California.

Dr. Marta Rudat, DDS

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Cost

What does a custom night guard cost?

Dentist-made custom night guards typically run $300 to $800 in Orange County, depending on material and design. Many PPO dental plans may provide partial coverage when a night guard is medically necessary. Our front desk can verify your benefits before anything is made.

Drugstore

$15 – $30

Boil-and-bite night guard

Online Kits

$100 – $200

At-home impression kit

Dentist-Made Custom

$300 – $800

Professionally fitted and adjusted

Weigh that against the restorative math. Grinding can contribute to cracked teeth, damaged fillings, and other problems that may eventually require restorative treatment such as a dental crown.

You'll have your exact number after the exam and before the impressions are taken.

These are typical area ranges to help orient you. Your actual cost will depend on the appliance prescribed and your individual insurance benefits.

TMJ Note

Night guards and TMJ pain

Jaw clicking, soreness, and morning tightness can be associated with nighttime clenching or grinding. A night guard may help manage symptoms for some patients, but TMJ disorders can have several causes, and a guard does not cure the underlying 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.

What is bruxism?

Bruxism is repetitive jaw-muscle activity that can include clenching, grinding, or bracing the jaw. It can happen while you’re awake or while you’re asleep, and the two are considered distinct behaviors.

How do I know if I grind my teeth at night?

Common clues include worn or flattened teeth, chipped or cracked enamel, tooth sensitivity, morning jaw soreness, facial muscle fatigue, or headaches. Sometimes the first clue is a partner hearing you grind while you sleep. A dental exam can identify wear and damage, but a sleep study provides more direct measurement when a definitive sleep-bruxism assessment is needed.

Does a night guard stop teeth grinding?

Not necessarily. A night guard primarily creates a protective barrier between your teeth and can reduce the dental consequences of grinding and clenching. Research on whether conventional splints consistently reduce the underlying muscle activity of sleep bruxism is mixed.

Can grinding really wear down my teeth?

Yes, but tooth wear is multifactorial. Bruxism is associated with tooth wear, while acids, diet, reflux, age, and other factors can contribute too. That means worn teeth can be evidence Dr. Marta considers, but tooth wear alone does not prove someone is grinding at night.

Can grinding damage fillings, crowns, or veneers?

It may increase mechanical stress on dental restorations, although the strength of the evidence varies by restoration type and by how bruxism was diagnosed. A 2025 review found an association between bruxism and restoration failure in parts of the literature, but also emphasized substantial differences among studies.

Can a night guard help with jaw pain or TMJ symptoms?

It can help some patients, particularly when muscle pain or clenching is involved, but a night guard is not a universal treatment for TMJ disorders. Recent reviews found splints can improve some TMD symptoms, but they are not consistently superior to other conservative treatments.

Why do I grind my teeth?

There usually isn’t one simple cause. Sleep bruxism is considered a behavior involving the nervous system rather than simply a problem with how the teeth fit together. Alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, some medications, psychosocial factors, and certain sleep-related conditions have all been investigated as associated factors.

Is stress causing me to grind my teeth?

Possibly, but the relationship isn’t simple enough to say that stress causes every case of sleep bruxism. Research has found associations between stress-related symptoms and bruxism, but sleep bruxism has multiple contributing factors.

Can antidepressants cause teeth grinding?

Some medications have been associated with sleep bruxism. A systematic review found associations with certain antidepressants, including duloxetine, paroxetine, and venlafaxine, but the overall quality of evidence was very low. Patients should discuss a suspected medication connection with the prescribing clinician rather than stopping medication on their own.

Does teeth grinding mean I have sleep apnea?

No. The relationship is still being studied. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis did not establish a clear overall association between sleep bruxism and obstructive sleep apnea, although the two can occur in the same person.

Does grinding mean I’m sleeping badly?

Not necessarily. A recent systematic review found people reporting sleep bruxism tended to report poorer subjective sleep quality, but objective sleep measurements did not show clear differences in sleep efficiency, duration, awakenings, or sleep latency.

When should I see a dentist about grinding?

It’s worth an evaluation if you’re noticing tooth wear, sensitivity, chips or cracks, damaged dental work, morning jaw soreness, facial pain, headaches, or if someone regularly hears you grinding at night. The goal is to determine whether the activity is actually causing damage or symptoms and whether protection or another treatment is appropriate.

Custom Night Guards

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 custom night guard underway.

Or call (714) 665-4200

Mon – Thu · Tustin, California

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Waking up with jaw pain? Your teeth are trying to tell you something.

Signs you grind your teeth at night.

Waking with a sore jaw, tight facial muscles, or a dull headache near your temples

Teeth that look flattened, shorter, or worn at the edges

New chips or cracks, or fillings that keep breaking

Tooth sensitivity from thinned enamel

A partner who hears the grinding at night, which is often the first clue anyone gets

Clicking or soreness in the jaw joint

What untreated grinding does over time

Custom vs. store-bought night guards.

Drugstore boil-and-bite

Online custom kits

Custom night guard

Getting your night guard: two easy visits

Exam and impressions.

Fitting.

Fitted by the dentist who knows your bite.

What does a custom night guard cost?

Night guards and TMJ pain

Night guard questions answered.

Protect your teeth while you sleep.

Night guard
questions answered.

Protect your teeth
while you sleep.