As with many issues during childhood, it’s important to catch dental problems and start preventative measures early on. There are many reasons why your child might need a nightguard. When it comes to children’s teeth, grinding, or bruxism, it can be a detrimental habit that can lead to many adverse effects.
A night guard for teeth is a great way to prevent teeth grinding, and dentists offer or recommend the best ones. This night guard review goes over the best, most highly rated night guards for kids that dentists stand by.
The Best Night Guards for Kids
If you’re looking for a quality night guard, you might be wondering which night guard is better for your child’s needs. So, what is the best mouth guard for kids? We’ve got it laid out right here.
Professional Dental Guard—Dental Duty
Dental Duty is an excellent option for your kid’s dental needs because it’s such a flexible solution. It comes with multiple sizes of guards, so you know that no matter the size of your child’s mouth, the product will still fit.
You can use the guards to prevent nighttime grinding, protect their teeth during sports, and even as a tray for whiteners. The kit comes with an anti-bacterial tray, and the mouthguards are BPA-free, and FDA designed and approved.
As they’re re-moldable and are offered at a great price, the Dental Duty is an excellent fit for childhood bruxism.
Advanced Comfort NightGuard—The Doctor’s
This night guard is made with nighttime comfort in mind. It is a mouth guard for grinding teeth, specifically. Not only does it prevent grinding damage to teeth, but its two-layer build prevents subsequent jaw tension and headaches that can also occur.
The top layer is soft, while the bottom layer is firm, ensuring shock absorption. Despite the multi-layer construction, it’s surprisingly slim and comfortable to wear to sleep.
The fronts of the guard are tilted, a thoughtful detail that keeps the BPA-free material away from the lips while sleeping for even further comfort. It comes with a carrying case and is size-rated specifically for kids.
Grind No More—Plackers
This mouthguard option is great to take the effort out of having to boil and mold nightguards. Instead, 14 disposable units within the package are specifically made to fit tightly enough to absorb shock and protect teeth without boiling and molding.
For nighttime grinders and those who clench their jaw, this mouthguard option keeps the bite plate aligned, absorbing force while also preserving the integrity of your child’s teeth alignment.
The ConfiDental Mouthguard
This pack of five moldable mouthguards is made of silicone and built with heavy-duty grinders in mind. It’s durable and can be used for sports and other applications as well.
To accommodate all types of grinders, the pack includes both heavy-duty and regular guards that come in multiple sizes to customize further the mouthguard’s fit to your child and their needs.
enCore Guards—Custom Dental Night Guard
The enCore guards are highly customizable and are specifically for nighttime grinding protection for maximum peace of mind. With this system, you can select from four different guard styles based on your child’s needs.
Based on your selection, either the upper or lower guard is customized precisely to your child’s mouth based on molds and sent to you straight from the professional dental laboratory. Although this option is a little more pricey, the customization and durability are dental-grade and sure to last.
JS Dental Lab Custom Dental Night Guard
If you want another option for a lab-customized night guard for your child, this is a great alternative.
Just send in your child’s mouth mold and choose the corresponding thickness and durability that best fits their needs. These BPA-free guards have a five-year lifespan and are even under warranty for free adjustments and replacement within one year.
American DentalCraft Dental Night Guard for Sleeping
This option is designed with comfort as the priority. While the outer shell is a hard acrylic to ensure that the mouthguard is durable and lasts, the inside is soft and cushioning to the mouth.
This guard helps protect against grinding but is also great to restore alignment and prevent jaw, neck, and even shoulder pain. This customizable option requires you to send molds to have the guard custom-made and is best for light grinders.
Armor Guard Mouth
While many customizable mouthguards allow you to choose between thickness levels, not many offer options in the material. However, this one does, and it’s a very effective alternative that caters to both heavy and light grinders.
On top of this, thickness is also customizable, and You can’t beat the price for this style of mouthguard.
Which Type of Night Guard Should I Choose?
There are many different types of night guards, and it’s essential to know which will help alleviate your child’s bruxism most efficiently.
Boil-and-Bite Style
This style allows you to mold a customizable guard at home. It offers a high level of customizability and also provides a nearly immediate solution. It can also be re-fitted if needed.
Mail-In Custom
While these mouthguards are expensive, they offer the highest level of customizability but can have some turnaround time, as you have to wait for them to be made and mailed.
If you’ve been considering getting mouthguards at your dentist, this option will likely offer a similar result at a lower price.
One-Size-Fits-All
While this option is not customizable and is not always practical or comfortable for everyone, it can offer an immediate and short-term solution as you wait for a mail-in mouthguard.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Night Guard
When your child needs a mouthguard, many factors will influence which kind you choose. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Cost
Costs can vary wildly, with one-size-fits-all solutions being the less expensive and mail-in ones being the most expensive (a range of about $10 to $150).
If your child will need a solution for grinding long-term, selecting a good quality mouthguard, even if it’s more expensive, is imperative. This choice is the smartest in the long term.
Durability
As mentioned above, children who need long-term solutions will also need more durable mouthguards. You can replace lower-quality mouthguards. You will likely end up spending more on them in the long term than with a quality mouth guard.
Consider ones that are of an adequate thickness and are made from comfortable materials that consider external durability and internal shock absorption and comfort.
Cleaning Instructions
Nighttime mouth guards can easily contribute to poor oral hygiene if not cleaned consistently. You can brush most with toothpaste and store them during the daytime in a denture-cleaning solution made by dissolving fresh denture-cleaning tablets in water whenever the mouthguard is removed.
Are Impressions Required?
For mail-in guards, impressions and molds are necessary and are provided with the cost of the mouthguard. Impressions aren’t required for boil-and-bite and one-size-fits-all styles, although boil-and-bite types will still need to fit your child’s mouth at home.
Final Thoughts
If you think your child is suffering from bruxism, it’s wise to get a first opinion from your dentist.
If mouthguards are needed, consider some of the dentist-approved options on this list and choose the best night guard that addresses your child’s needs in terms of thickness, durability, and customizability to help protect their teeth and avoid jaw pain.
