Brands we love for teeth grinders
This is the running list of products we would tell a friend to buy. It is short on purpose. Most of what gets sold to people who grind their teeth is either a $20 piece of boiled plastic pretending to be a medical device, or a $600 dental bill for something that costs $150 to make.
Every product here is one we have researched properly or used ourselves, and each one gets a plain answer to the only two questions that matter: why it wins its category, and who should not buy it.
Best custom-fit night guard
Pro Teeth Guard*
A real dental lab selling direct, at roughly a third of what a dentist charges for the same thing.
Price: ~$145 to $220
Why we like it
- It is the same kind of lab that makes the guard your dentist would order, using the same materials. They have been supplying dental offices for over 20 years.
- A 60-day 110% money-back guarantee. Not 100. If you send it back they refund more than you paid and cover the return shipping, which means the downside of trying it is negative.
- Free adjustments if the fit is off, and a free replacement impression kit if you botch the mold. Neither of those is standard.
- Four thicknesses, so you are not forced into one guard whether you clench lightly or grind hard enough to crack enamel.
- FSA and HSA cards work at checkout.
Who it is not for: You need protection tonight. It is 3 to 4 weeks from order to delivery, because you take the impression at home and mail it in.
Best daytime guard
Sentinel No-Show Day Guard*
A guard built to be talked and worked in, rather than a night guard worn in daylight.
Price: $180
Why we like it
- Sentinel have made guards in-house in Florida for over a decade, so you are buying from the lab rather than from a reseller with a lab somewhere behind it.
- It is low profile by design. Daytime clenching is the problem people give up on treating, because the obvious fix is wearing a bulky night guard to work, and nobody does that twice.
- They accept either a home impression kit or a digital scan (.STL) if your dentist already has one on file, which skips a step most direct-to-consumer labs make you repeat.
- Daytime clenching and night grinding are genuinely different problems. If you clench at your desk, a night guard is the wrong tool, not a weaker one.
Who it is not for: You only grind in your sleep, or you want the most generous money-back terms available. Sentinel deduct $23 from refunds, an exchange ends your refund eligibility, and impressions have to go back within six months of purchase. None of that is unreasonable, but it is worth reading before you order, and Pro Teeth Guard's 110% guarantee is simply a better deal if that is your priority.
Best night guard cleaner
Sentinel Ultrasonic Cleaner + UV Light Sterilizer*
Gets into the pores in the plastic that brushing and soaking never reach.
Price: $68
Why we like it
- Ultrasonic cleaning works by cavitation. The water carries microscopic bubbles that collapse against the surface and lift debris out of pores a brush physically cannot get into. That is the part of the job every soak and scrub routine keeps missing.
- It handles retainers, aligners and whitening trays as well, so it is not a single-purpose gadget sitting in a drawer.
- It is the cheapest thing on this page by a wide margin, and it addresses the single most common complaint we hear, which is a guard that smells.
Who it is not for: Your guard is already finished. If the smell comes back within a day of a proper clean, the material has gone porous and no cleaner reverses that. See how to tell when a guard is done.
Best TMJ massager
YourTMJ Pen*
Heat and vibration aimed at the jaw muscles a night guard does nothing for.
Price: Check site, frequently discounted
Why we like it
- It holds a set temperature between 100 and 118°F for as long as you use it. A warm compress is lukewarm in four minutes, which is why nobody sticks with one.
- The precision tip and four levels of low-frequency vibration let you work one tender spot in the masseter instead of warming the whole side of your face.
- 90-day trial and a one-year warranty, so you can find out whether it helps you before committing.
- It solves a different problem than a guard. A guard protects your teeth from grinding; this is for the muscle ache that keeps going anyway.
Who it is not for: It is a muscle tool, not a treatment for a structural joint problem. If your jaw locks, clicks painfully, or is getting worse, see a dentist or a specialist rather than buying a device.
* Affiliate partner. If you buy through one of our links we earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. A commission has never bought a place on this page, and the list is short because most things do not earn one. Read our full affiliate disclosure.