981 W. South St, Freeport, IL 61032
New patients welcome (815) 235-5174

Night guards and sleep appliances


Two different appliances, both custom-made from a scan of your own teeth, and both worn while you sleep. One protects your teeth from the force of grinding. The other holds the airway open.

Which one you need

Night guard
For grinding and clenching. The guard takes the pressure instead of your teeth, which is the only practical way to stop the wear. Worth asking about if you wake with a sore jaw or a headache, or if your teeth are flattening at the edges or turning sensitive.
Sleep appliance
A fitted appliance that holds the lower jaw slightly forward overnight to keep the airway open, which reduces snoring. Often the option for people who cannot tolerate a CPAP machine.

We do not diagnose sleep apnea — that comes from your physician or a sleep study. Bring us the diagnosis and we will make the appliance and fit it.

How they are made

Scan

A digital scan of your teeth, so there is no impression tray involved.

Laboratory

The appliance is built to that model, in the material and thickness the job calls for.

Fitting

You come back to have it fitted and adjusted. An appliance that does not sit comfortably does not get worn, so this part matters.

Mention it at your next check-up

Grinding leaves a signature that is easy to spot at a routine exam — flattened cusps, worn edges, small cracks in the enamel — often before the patient has noticed anything themselves. If we see it, we will say so.

It is worth dealing with early. Grinding that goes unchecked for years turns into cracked teeth and crowns, which is a far more expensive problem than a guard.

Book an appointment.

Call the front desk during office hours and we will find you a time for night guards and sleep appliances.

Call (815) 235-5174