How to Choose the Right Night Guard Thickness

You’ve seen the bulky mouth guards athletes use when they play contact sports, and you know that’s not what you want to wear when you’re sleeping to help your grinding problem.

On the other hand, a flimsy, thin sheet of plastic won’t withstand the wear and tear of your teeth as they clench and grind for hours every night.

Luckily, there’s a happy medium.

Professional night guards, like those we have at JS Dental Lab, are both durable and comfortable. However, there are various thickness levels to choose from, ranging from around 1.5 mm to 4 mm.

The decision as to whether you want the thinnest, thickest, or somewhere in between depends on multiple factors. In this blog, we’ll discuss why thickness in your night guard matters and how to know which type is right for you.

What the Different Night Guard Thicknesses Mean

Imagine clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth with nothing separating the top and bottom arches. Now, picture sliding a nickel between your teeth. That’s a 2 mm separation, and the average grinder is protected with a 2 mm guard. 

This thickness is ideal for people with mild to moderate grinding. The size is just right to separate the upper and lower teeth and is comfortable enough to be barely noticeable in the mouth.

Generally, the thicker the night guard, the more energy it absorbs from your bruxism grinding. But that doesn’t mean everyone should use the thickest night guard possible.

Sometimes, thicker guards are necessary when your grinding is more severe. These are durable enough to withstand heavier grinding levels, whereas a soft material can easily be bitten through. 

Thick guards can have downsides, though. If thicker than 3 mm, they force the teeth apart further than a natural separation and keep your lips from closing. This pushing apart takes up too much space and strains the TMJ, leading to occlusal damage. 

Research shows that increasing the night guard thickness also boosts energy absorption — with one vital caveat. Increasing the thickness from 1 mm to 3 mm provides more protection from teeth grinding. But after 4 mm, there isn’t much of an increase in protection, so there isn’t a need to have a dental night guard any thicker than 4 mm.

Considering Your Bruxing Severity

When choosing your custom night guard thickness, the size and material determine the effectiveness.

Over-the-counter night guards are popular options for people looking for the cheapest way to reduce bruxism symptoms. While affordable, these guards tend to be thick and uncomfortable. The material is also low-quality, so it’s easy to grind through your guard.

Conversely, professional guards, like those at your dentist’s office or JS Dental Lab, are made from high-quality materials that are durable and more comfortable.

For example, our guards are made from biocompatible materials that are always free from 

• BPA
• Gluten
• Phthalate
• Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate
• MMA
• Latex

Popular Types and Sizes of Night Guards

The different sizes are designed to help bruxers based on their level of grinding severity. Let’s look at some of the most common night guards we offer in our Hayward, CA, lab:

• Daytime - At 1.5 mm, these ultra-thin protectors are made from acrylic and designed for daytime grinders and clenchers, but they also work well for occasional light sleep bruxers. 
• Hybrid Shield - For the moderate-to-heavy bruxer, this 3 mm night guard is fabricated with a dual-laminate material. The firm exterior protects your teeth from grinding, while the soft inner layer ensures you’re comfortable wearing your oral appliance all night.
• Flex Armor - Strong clenchers and grinders need more durability, but comfort is also a must. The Flex Armor is a 2.5 mm semi-hard, semi-soft night guard that’s more opaque than the hybrid or extra durable options. The Flex Armor is the ideal night guard for those with powerful bites but a sensitive mouth.
• Hard Shield - Sometimes, your bite force may surprise you. When your grinding is so powerful that your typical night guards are shredded, a hard shield is necessary. Crafted from an all-hard material, the 3 mm hard shield absorbs more energy from grinding and gives your jaw muscles and teeth the rest they need at night.
• Premium 3D-The newest night guard on the scene is the 3 mm/4 mm 3D custom night guard. This appliance is ideal for light and heavy grinding, but the difference lies in the design. The premium guard takes impressions of your teeth, both the top and bottom, and turns them into one intricately personalized guard for the upper or lower arch.

Many bruxers don’t even know they’ve been grinding until a sleep partner or dentist points it out to them. If that sounds like you and you’re not sure which kind of night guard you need, check out our quick quiz on our JS Dental Lab website. 

Answer a few simple questions, and our experts will guide you on the best night guard for your grinding level. After you checkout, you’ll receive an impression kit in the mail with straightforward instructions. Once you send it in, your custom-fit night guard will be heading your way shortly!

Take the quiz now!

Considering Your Bruxing Frequency

Personal preference is important, but so is ensuring the night guard does its job. Are you an occasional bruxer or a nightly one? The answer to that question will help determine how thick of a night guard you need.

Thinner guards are okay for occasional bruxing issues, but a thicker guard is necessary for daily use. Most people can get away with a 1 mm - 2 mm thickness. But if you’re a heavy, frequent grinder, you may bite through those thinner materials.

Not sure how often or hard you grind? Consider your symptoms when you’re not wearing a night guard:

• Do you frequently wake up with morning headaches? 
• Do you feel tired throughout the week, even though you know you got 6-8 hours of sleep? 
• Are your teeth sensitive, or are your gums bleeding when brushing or flossing? 
• Do you wake up for no apparent reason in the middle of the night?
• Do you notice that your jaw sometimes needs to “pop,” or do you hear clicking and popping noises when you move your mouth?

If those symptoms sound familiar, chances are, you’re a regular bruxer. A hybrid night guard may be better for you than a soft guard, which is similar to a teeth whitening tray.

However, in some cases, the jaw clenching and teeth grinding may be too intense for a hybrid, and a hard guard is necessary. 

If the custom-fit night guard you currently have doesn't withstand your bruxing behaviors, talk to your dentist or message the manufacturing company you purchased from.

Keep in mind that JS Dental Lab teeth guards have a 365-day guarantee.

Choosing Your Guard Based on Comfort

For a night guard to be effective, it has to be worn consistently.

If you have sleep bruxism rather than awake bruxism, this means you need to wear it for hours at a time. 

Night guards can take time to get used to wearing. You’ll be training your brain to adjust to an unfamiliar sensation, just like with a retainer. While there are tips and tricks to help this happen faster, the right-sized guard matters, too.

Finding a Comfortable Fit Night Guard

Your night guard should be strong enough to handle your bruxing behaviors yet comfortable enough to wear all night.

Crucially, it needs to cover the impact zones — the areas where your clenching and grinding happen most.

Typically, your impact zones are in front of the teeth and under the molars, whereas non-impact zones are the roof of the mouth and behind the back surfaces of the teeth.

A custom-fit night guard is essential to ensure all of these biting surfaces are covered. Over-the-counter night guards don’t deal with factors like dental work or comfort, and the material is often bulky and uncomfortable. The guard may be too big, covering the soft tissue in your mouth and causing soreness and mouth ulcers.

Using a custom-made night guard from an impression kit eliminates these issues, giving you a perfect fit. Your unique nooks and crannies are accounted for, so the teeth guard slides gently over your biting surfaces. You can also choose between lower and upper teeth guards for a more personal comfort decision.

Either way, the cushioning effect still happens because the two arches can’t touch.

Heavy grinders with severe bruxism using a hard night guard may still have some discomfort until they get used to the oral appliance. However, the advantages of losing those bruxing symptoms like jaw pain and headaches, will likely outweigh the downsides.

Conclusion

When your nighttime teeth clenching is interfering with your daytime activities, a night guard can be the solution.

But with multiple thicknesses available, how do you know which one is right for you, and how can you choose the guard with the best lifespan?

Your bruxism severity and frequency, as well as your comfort and personal preference, can help you narrow down the right night guard. Our experts at JS Dental Lab are ready to answer your questions.

Contact us today to get your mild, moderate, or severe teeth grinding problems on the right track!