Mouth Guards

These protect your teeth from sports-related injuries. If you play sports like boxing, wrestling, soccer, basketball, hockey or football, mouth guards can greatly reduce your risk for chipped and avulsed (knocked out) teeth.

While bite guards worn during the day or night won't stop you from grinding, Dr. Chen said, they can act as a bumper to protect teeth. But only if they are carefully designed according to the size and shape of your mouth, and of materials specific to whether you are a grinder, clencher or chomper.

Bruxism will inevitably cause significant pain unless a night guard is in place to act as a barrier. It is even possible for the pressure of grinding and clenching the teeth during the night to fracture or crack the tooth or a crown.