Mouth Guards in Aurora, CO

A mouth guard is a removable appliance worn over the teeth to reduce the risk of injury or damage. At Alameda Dental, we fabricate custom guards for three distinct needs: sports protection, nighttime bruxism management, and as occlusal splints for certain TMJ-related symptoms.

During a collision or fall, a properly fitted sports guard absorbs and redistributes impact forces that might otherwise fracture teeth, lacerate soft tissue, or injure the jaw. A night guard creates a physical barrier between the upper and lower teeth so that involuntary clenching and grinding wear down the appliance instead of your enamel. An occlusal splint is designed to guide the jaw into a more relaxed position and reduce muscle hyperactivity.

Custom guards fit only the person they were made for. That close adaptation is what keeps them in place during vigorous activity and why they feel more natural to wear than a stock or boil-and-bite alternative.

The process begins with a conversation about why you need a guard—sports, grinding, or joint discomfort—and what you hope it will accomplish. Dr. Casandra Barnes then examines your teeth, occlusion, and any existing wear patterns or soft-tissue concerns.

If a guard is appropriate, we capture an accurate record of your teeth. The model of your mouth is sent to a dental laboratory where the guard is fabricated from a material suited to its purpose: a resilient, impact-absorbing material for sports; a durable acrylic or dual-laminate construction for grinding; or a precisely adjusted hard acrylic for splint therapy.

When the finished guard returns to our office, you come back for a fitting. We check the margins, retention, and bite contacts, and we make any minor adjustments chairside. We also walk through inserting and removing the guard, cleaning it, and storing it safely.

A custom sports guard cushions the teeth, lips, and cheeks against sudden blows. Football, basketball, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, boxing, and martial arts carry obvious collision risk, but we also see dental injuries from sports where contact is incidental—baseball, wrestling, skateboarding, even cycling.

Our sports guards fit securely over the upper teeth. Because they are thin and closely adapted, they do not interfere with breathing or speech the way a bulky stock guard often does. The material is tough enough to take a hit yet resilient enough to avoid transferring the full force to the underlying teeth.

We make sports guards for children, teens, and adults. Young athletes whose mouths are still developing may need replacement guards more frequently, and we monitor the fit at regular recall appointments.

Bruxism—habitual clenching or grinding, often during sleep—can flatten cusps, chip enamel, expose dentin, and contribute to temperature sensitivity. Over time it may also cause abfraction lesions at the gumline and place chronic stress on the muscles of mastication.

A custom night guard separates the upper and lower arches. The appliance takes the wear instead of the teeth. By reducing the mechanical load, it can also lessen the morning jaw soreness and tension-type headaches that many patients with bruxism describe. We design night guards to distribute occlusal forces evenly across the arch so that no single tooth or region bears excessive pressure.

When a patient reports jaw clicking, locking, or persistent muscle tenderness, an occlusal splint may be part of the treatment plan. Unlike a simple night guard, an occlusal splint is fabricated to a carefully adjusted bite relationship. The goal is to provide a stable, repeatable contact pattern that lets the jaw muscles relax and allows the joint to settle into a less strained position.

Splint therapy is only one facet of TMJ management, and its role depends on the specific diagnosis. During your evaluation, we discuss what a splint can and cannot be expected to do, and whether additional strategies—such as physical therapy, behavioral modification, or a referral—might also be warranted.

Virtually anyone who plays a contact or collision sport can benefit from a sports guard, and we recommend them for athletes of all ages. For night guards, the key indicator is clinical evidence of bruxism: visible tooth wear, fracture lines that are not explained by decay, patient-reported morning tightness, or input from a sleep partner who hears grinding sounds.

A few scenarios warrant caution. A severe gag reflex may make wearing an upper guard uncomfortable, though we can sometimes adjust the design. Patients with significant malocclusion or missing teeth may need a different approach, and we will talk through those considerations before taking an impression. As with any oral appliance, candidacy is determined by a thorough examination, not by a checklist alone.

There is no surgical recovery period, but an adjustment phase is normal. A well-fitting sports guard usually feels unobtrusive after a practice or two. Night guards can take a little longer—some patients notice mild tooth pressure or jaw awareness for the first few mornings, which typically resolves as the neuromuscular system adapts.

We encourage patients to wear the appliance consistently during the early adjustment window. Sporadic use tends to prolong the accommodation period. If a guard causes sharp discomfort, rocks on the teeth, or feels as though it is putting pressure on just a few spots, we want to see you for a quick adjustment rather than have you stop wearing it.

After each use, rinse the guard with cool or lukewarm water. Gently brush it with a soft toothbrush—without toothpaste unless we specifically recommend one—to remove plaque and debris. Steer clear of hot water, which can warp the material and ruin the fit.

Store the guard dry in its ventilated case. A sealed, moist environment encourages bacterial and fungal growth. We also recommend bringing the guard to your routine dental appointments so we can inspect it for wear, cracks, or deposits and advise on whether it is time for a replacement.

A custom mouth guard substantially lowers the risk of tooth fracture, avulsion, and soft-tissue laceration during sports. A night guard shields enamel from grinding forces and often reduces morning soreness. A well-designed splint can help quiet hyperactive jaw muscles and give the TMJ a temporary mechanical buffer.

What a guard cannot do is address the root cause of bruxism or guarantee that a TMJ disorder will resolve. Bruxism is influenced by stress, sleep architecture, airway dynamics, and sometimes medication side effects—factors a dental appliance alone does not treat. A sports guard cannot prevent a concussion, nor does it eliminate every injury scenario. We explain these distinctions during your consultation so you have a clear-eyed view of what a guard can accomplish.

The cost of a mouth guard varies by type, material, and whether one or both arches are covered. A sports guard, a night guard, and an occlusal splint each carry different fees because the materials and laboratory processes differ.

Dental insurance plans often include some benefit for night guards or splints when they are deemed medically necessary; sports guards are frequently treated as a non-covered or partially covered service, but this varies widely by plan. Our team verifies your benefits ahead of time and gives you a written estimate of any out-of-pocket responsibility. We are happy to review all payment options before you commit to treatment.

If you are dealing with tooth wear, morning jaw soreness, or simply want a properly fitted sports guard for yourself or your child, the next step is an evaluation at our Aurora office. Call (303) 343-7072 or request an appointment online.

During your visit, Dr. Casandra Barnes will examine your teeth and jaw, listen to your concerns, and explain which type of guard—if any—makes clinical sense for your situation. We will provide the written information you need to make a confident decision, and we will never pressure you into treatment you do not want.

Alameda Dental is located at 14591 E Alameda Ave, Aurora, CO 80012. We welcome patients from Aurora, Centennial, Foxfield, Dove Valley, Glendale, Denver, and the surrounding Arapahoe County communities.