Teeth grinding at night or participation in contact sports puts your smile at constant risk of damage that can be both painful and expensive to repair. Store-bought mouthguards offer minimal protection, fitting poorly and often feeling so uncomfortable you stop wearing them entirely, leaving your teeth vulnerable to chips, cracks, and wear that accumulates over time.
Alber Dental Studio creates custom mouthguards in Boulder, precisely fitted to your unique dental anatomy for superior protection and comfort. Dr. Marc Alber and our team design guards for both athletic protection and nighttime bruxism, ensuring you get the specific type of coverage your situation requires while maintaining comfort that encourages consistent use.
Different situations require different mouthguard designs, each optimized for specific protection needs. Understanding which type addresses your concerns helps ensure you receive the right appliance for your circumstances.
Teeth grinding and clenching during sleep, known as bruxism, affects millions of Americans. A survey by the American Dental Association showed more than 70% of dentists noticed signs of teeth grinding and clenching in their patients, an increase of nearly 10% over the previous year. This unconscious habit generates tremendous force, wearing down enamel, cracking teeth, and causing jaw pain or headaches.
Night guards create a protective barrier between upper and lower teeth, absorbing grinding forces before they damage tooth structure. The guard cushions your bite, reducing pressure on teeth and jaw joints. This protection prevents the progressive wear that eventually requires extensive restorative work to repair.
Custom night guards fit precisely over your teeth, staying securely in place throughout the night without feeling bulky or triggering gag reflexes. The accurate fit allows normal breathing and prevents the jaw discomfort common with ill-fitting store-bought options. Most patients adjust to wearing their custom guard within a few nights.
Athletic mouthguards protect teeth, lips, tongue, and jaw from impact during contact sports and high-risk activities. Direct blows to the face can knock out teeth, fracture jaws, or cause soft tissue injuries requiring medical intervention. Proper protection significantly reduces these risks.
Custom sports guards absorb and distribute impact forces across the entire guard rather than concentrating trauma on individual teeth. The precise fit ensures the guard stays in place during activity without requiring you to bite down to hold it, allowing normal breathing and communication with teammates. You can even drink water without removing the guard. Athletes in football, hockey, boxing, basketball, soccer, and similar sports benefit from custom guard protection. Even non-contact sports like skateboarding, mountain biking, or gymnastics warrant protection given the fall and collision risks inherent in these activities.
Professional custom guards offer significant benefits over over-the-counter alternatives, justifying the investment through superior protection and comfort. Store-bought options may seem economical initially, but their limitations often result in inconsistent use and inadequate protection.
Custom guards are fabricated from precise impressions of your teeth, creating an appliance matching your dental anatomy exactly. This accuracy produces a secure fit staying in place without adhesives or constant readjustment. The guard follows the contours of your teeth and gums, distributing pressure evenly and preventing the sore spots common with generic guards.
Comfortable mouthguards encourage consistent use, which is essential for effective protection. If your guard feels uncomfortable, you’re less likely to wear it regularly, leaving your teeth vulnerable during unprotected periods. Custom fabrication ensures you receive an appliance you’ll actually use rather than leave in a drawer.
Custom guards use higher-quality materials than drugstore options, providing better shock absorption and durability. The precise fit ensures protection extends to all teeth rather than leaving some exposed. Thickness can be optimized for your specific needs—heavier grinders may need thicker guards, while lighter clenchers can use thinner designs.
The material selection also affects longevity. Custom guards typically last longer than store-bought alternatives despite more frequent use, making them cost-effective over time. We can also replace worn guards quickly using your existing impressions on file.
Creating custom guards involves a comprehensive dental evaluation, identifying any existing problems that might affect guard design or require treatment first. We assess your bite, tooth alignment, and jaw function, ensuring the guard works with your specific dental situation rather than against it.
This evaluation may reveal issues you weren’t aware of, allowing early intervention before problems worsen. For instance, temporomandibular joint dysfunction or alignment problems might require specialized guard designs or additional treatment for optimal results.
Creating your custom guard involves several steps, ensuring the final appliance meets your protection needs and comfort requirements. The process takes minimal time and produces results far superior to anything available at retail stores.
Your first appointment includes a discussion of your specific concerns, whether you’re experiencing bruxism symptoms or need athletic protection. We examine your teeth and jaw, noting any existing damage from grinding or previous injuries. This assessment guides guard design decisions.
We create precise dental impressions capturing the exact shape and position of your teeth. Modern impression materials set quickly and comfortably, typically requiring just a few minutes. These impressions travel to a dental laboratory where skilled technicians fabricate your custom guard following our specifications.
Laboratory technicians create your guard using professional-grade materials selected for your specific needs. Night guards typically use slightly softer materials providing cushioning comfort, while sports guards employ more rigid materials offering impact protection. The fabrication process ensures even thickness and proper bite alignment.
When your completed guard returns from the laboratory, you return for a fitting appointment. We check the guard’s fit, making any necessary adjustments for optimal comfort and protection. You receive instructions on proper insertion, removal, cleaning, and storage to maximize the guard’s effectiveness and lifespan.
Certain symptoms indicate you might benefit from custom guard protection. Recognizing these signs early prevents progressive damage requiring extensive treatment later.
Morning headaches, particularly around temples, often result from nighttime grinding. Jaw soreness, facial pain, or earaches without infection can indicate excessive clenching. You might notice increased tooth sensitivity or pain when chewing, suggesting enamel wear exposing inner tooth layers.
Partners often hear grinding sounds during the night, alerting you to a problem you’re unaware of during sleep. Visible tooth wear, chips, or cracks also point to bruxism requiring intervention. Even without obvious symptoms, your dentist may notice wear patterns during routine examinations, indicating guard use would be beneficial.
Any sport involving potential facial contact warrants mouthguard protection. This includes obvious contact sports like football and hockey, but also extends to basketball, soccer, and baseball, where collisions or projectile impacts occur. Individual sports with fall or collision risks also benefit from protection.
Previous dental injuries or recent restorative work increase the importance. Crowns, bridges, or veneers represent significant investments worth protecting. Athletes with orthodontic appliances need guards to prevent bracket injuries to soft tissues while protecting teeth and braces simultaneously.
Custom guards can integrate with other protective measures, creating comprehensive oral health protection. Combining treatments addresses multiple concerns simultaneously.
Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment can wear specially designed guards protecting both teeth and brackets. These guards accommodate changing tooth positions as treatment progresses. Athletic participation doesn’t require treatment postponement when proper protection is in place.
Grinding during orthodontic treatment can damage brackets or slow progress by fighting against tooth movement forces. Night guards allow teeth to move as intended while preventing grinding damage to orthodontic appliances.
Your teeth deserve protection designed specifically for your anatomy and needs. Dr. Marc Alber brings more than 25 years of experience to preventive dentistry, creating custom guards providing superior protection and comfort compared to over-the-counter alternatives. Our Boulder practice uses precise digital impressions and works with skilled laboratory technicians, ensuring your guard fits perfectly and functions effectively.
We understand the importance of protecting your smile from both athletic injuries and the unconscious grinding that damages teeth during sleep. Our team takes time to assess your specific situation, recommending the guard type best suited to your needs and ensuring you understand proper use and maintenance. The comfortable environment at Alber Dental Studio makes getting protective appliances straightforward and stress-free. Contact Alber Dental Studio today to schedule your consultation and discover how custom mouthguards protect your smile from damage while remaining comfortable enough for consistent use.
Alber dental is a truly outstanding practice. By far the best dental practice I have visited. Every person there cares deeply about their patients and providing a comfortable, relaxing and extremely professional experience for their guests. Cannot recommend highly enough.
A true 5 stars experience. I’m a new patient. Had a great experience under the care of two lovely and skilled hygienists, both highly knowledgeable and with good manner. My interactions with Dr Alber were also very pleasant, filled with great info and advice and without the feeling badgering salesmanship of upselling me on orthodontics I know I don’t need. Overall, very content and will be happy to return.
Having recently moved to Boulder, I feel lucky to have found this dental practice. They carefully diagnosed and quickly addressed the problems I had with a couple of teeth. All of the staff are very knowledgeable and communicate well.I feel that they know and care about their patients, and I’ve learned a lot about teeth!
I had a very good experience at Alber Dental. The technology is modern and efficient with crowns and onlays completed in under two hours. Everyone I interacted with are professional, polite and happy to answer questions. On top of that, they accept my insurance.
Dr. Alber is the best. He employs the best hygienists who use the best instruments, he provides the latest gadgets ensuring patient comfort. The office is comfortable. I will never have another dentist
I have been a patient of Dr. Alber for several years now, and am very pleased with him and his team. They are professional, compassionate, and efficient. I highly recommend them.
We LOVE going here and feel such a relief to have them! Wouldn’t want any other dentist for my family.
Whole office is supportive and friendly. Dr. Alber is skilled and works quickly.
I’ve been a patient for 20+ years. Goes to show that I rather not try any other dentist. Every one of Dr Alber’s staff is exceptional.
Absolutely the best experience I’ve ever had!! I’m extremely picky about dentists and hygienists. This team has it dialed in to the moon and back!!
