Help Center

Over-the-counter stock night guards can easily be purchased from a local pharmacy/drug store at a lower price than a custom night guard. These OTC solutions are mass-produced and usually come in three standard sizes. With some models, the guard can be adapted to one’s teeth every night using a ‘boil and bite’ method. Most who opt for this solution are left with a less-than-ideal fit. A custom night guard minimizes the risk of an improper fit as it will be molded based on a real impression of a patient's teeth.

For severe bruxers, we always recommend that you consult with your dentist on the correct treatment plan and night guard. For everyone else (or for those who are seeking a replacement for their guard) enCore Lab can help you save time and money by buying directly from us. The night guard you would receive from your dentist is identical to an enCore night guard. In fact, we have been supplying dentists and their patients with custom night guards for over 20 years.

All of enCore Laboratory’s night guards are made from FDA registered, BPA-free materials purchased from professional dental industry suppliers in the United States and Germany. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) are readily available upon request.

Most prefer an upper guard as they tend to be less obtrusive. A single night guard is generally enough to protect your teeth against grinding, so either an upper or a lower will suffice unless otherwise instructed by your dentist.
When deciding between an upper or lower, please consider the following:

1. Do you have a gag reflex? - Many customers with a severe gag reflex report that opting for a lower guard is more comfortable and less likely to induce their gag reflex.

2. Are you currently wearing braces and/or have a permanently cemented retainer? - It's best to choose the arch that you do not have braces or a permanently cemented retainer on. The impression putty cannot be applied onto teeth with braces and a guard may catch on to your cemented retainer.

If deciding between the single layer options, keep in mind a soft guard is more comfortable while the hard guard is more durable. That said, more severe grinders should opt for a hard guard or hybrid guard.

Our hybrid guard is extremely popular due to its hybrid nature - many customers who fall under the mild to moderate level of bruxism enjoy the combination of a soft liner for comfort and a hard exterior for durability.

If you have porcelain veneers, enCore highly recommends that you consult with your family dentist first due to the high cost of veneers and their delicate nature. Ask your dentist if it's safe to take your dental impression over the veneers. If so, we recommend either a hybrid guard or a soft guard as both have soft material components that help provide padding to protect the veneers.

For a more detailed rundown on selecting a guard check out our post on 'Choosing a Guard' 

Guards can only be purchased through our website (www.encoreguards.com) or through our storefronts on Amazon and Walmart. 

enCore Guards does not work with 3rd party vendors or list our product in sales channels outside of the above mentioned online platforms. Impressions returned to us without a valid order number from our authorized storefronts will not be fulfilled. 

Within 2-5 days of your order, you will receive an impression kit (encased in tamper-evident packaging) that contains the following:

1. Impression trays in three sizes (Large/Medium/Small): Three tray sizes are provided for you to determine the best fitting tray. For tips on how to determine the best tray for you, check out our tips here. In an effort to minimize plastic waste, we send the most commonly used sizes first. If you need a pediatric tray, please contact us directly and we'll send one to you immediately.

2. Impression putty: Each set of putty is designed and measured for a single impression. If the putty is divided and used for two impressions, neither impression will have enough putty for an accurate model. For your convenience, your kit will also contain a back up set of putty.

3. Prepaid mailer and envelope to return your completed impression.

4. Detailed instructions are included. You can always email us for a copy if you've misplaced it. If you have any issues or questions during the process, our support team is always ready and happy to help.

Once your impression is completed, please send us a photo of your completed impression for evaluation before returning it. In the event that there's a quality concern with your impression, we'll be able to send a new kit to you immediately to help save time.

Picking the right impression tray to use is an important step in taking your own impression. Each kit comes with an adult large, medium, and small trays for you to try out. Prior to mixing the putty, insert each tray into your mouth to see which fit best. When evaluating the fit, keep these two requirements in mind:

1. The tray needs to be long enough so that it covers all of your molars. If the tray does not cover your molars, we won't have a full impression of your teeth and can only extend the guard as far back as impressed. 

2. Your teeth should not touch any of the side walls of the impression tray. There should be space between your teeth and the impression tray on both sides of your teeth. If you find yourself hitting any of the side walls with your teeth, it's best to use a larger tray. 

We can certainly use an older impression if you prefer. We just need to make sure that:

1. The impression is relatively recent. We prefer anything within a year old and preferably within 6 months old

2. The impression must be accurate. Nothing can have changed since the impression was taken, including but not limited to alignment treatment, crowns, bridges, implants, and/or extractions.

Please note that we can only ensure the fit of the guards to the model/impression provided. If the impression/model differs from your mouth, we cannot refund the guard if it fits the model.

If you would like to use your guard, contact a enCore support member to let us know and we'll help make the arrangements.

I'm afraid we cannot replicate a guard using an existing guard. All of our custom guards require a dental impression or model. 

Upon receiving your good dental impression in our lab, we require 4-6 business days to fabricate your custom night guard*. You will receive:

1. Your completed custom night guard

2. Travel/protective case for storage
3. Cleaning tabs to help minimize stains and odor

We use USPS Ground Advantage to ship all items. USPS delivery commitment time is 1-5 business days nationwide.

*48 hour in-lab rush service is available if necessary for urgent cases

enCore Guards uses USPS First Class to ship all of our items including finished guards. Delivery time frames range from 1-3 days depending on your location, not counting weekends and major US holidays. All shipments will include a tracking number to help you monitor its progress. 

enCore Guards is not responsible for any delays, damaged, or lost packages. In such an event, please contact enCore Guards directly and we'll work with you to find a suitable solution.

For missing packages showing as delivered, please contact your local USPS representative to open a trace. In our experience, missing packages tracking as delivered usually means one of two things:

1. Package was erroneously delivered to a neighbor. In this situation, packages are usually returned by a friendly neighbor in a few days.2. Package was prematurely scanned as delivered. You should receive the package in a day or two after the delivered scan.

For packages that still show "Pre-shipment" status after the initial ship date, this usually means your package was not successfully scanned in at the sort facility. Please contact enCore Guards directly for possible solutions.

Yes! enCore Guards stores all customer impressions for 6 months as a free service. During this time, we can make additional guards without requesting a new impression. We even offer significant discounts on these orders!

enCore stands behind our custom mouth guards and offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee towards the fit of your guard. We will work with you to adjust your dental night guard to your specifications.

Our guarantee applies to any guard made from an impression compliant with our mandatory impression review process. For any impessions received and/or guard(s) made without our impression approval, enCore reserves the right to void the warranty, refund, and/or free adjustments.

Adjustment requests must be made within 30 days of receiving your guard that you're experiencing an issue. Just reach out to start the process.

More details on our refund policy are located here.

We also proudly stand behind our work with a 6 month limited warranty on our night guards.* Any night guard that fractures or is worn down before 6 months can be returned to us along with your order number and we’ll make a new night guard for free upon review!

As a free service, we store all impressions for 6 months for our customers. During this time, a replacement guard can be made from the original impression. After 6 months, we prefer to start over with a new impression to ensure the accuracy and fit of your guard. The reason for this is that teeth continuously shift over time and any movement could potentially affect the fit and performance of your guard. 

To request a replacement guard, please contact us directly with your order number and a photo of the guard. Guards must be returned to enCore for evaluation prior to remake authorization and customer is responsible for return postage. It is recommended that you use a shipping service with a tracking number to ensure delivery. enCore is not responsible for any returned guards that are lost in the mail.

Please review our refund and remake policy for complete terms and conditions. 

We keep your impression/model for 6 months in our lab. If you lose or damage your night guard within 6 months, we can re-make your night guard without you having to take another impression! Just contact us and we can make a new guard for you at a reduced rate.

If you have emailed us and have not heard back:

1. Please check your spam folder. We try to respond to all emails within a few hours during normal business hours, and within 24 hours over weekends and all major US holidays. If you don't see our reply within these time frames, there's a good chance our message was sorted to your spam folder.

2. You can call us directly at 714-360-0197

3. You can contact us through our webpage here.

Daily cleaning and caring for your guard will help extend its life and ability to protect your teeth.

1. Always rinse immediately after wearing with warm water as soon as you remove it from your mouth to remove debris and loosen any plaque that builds up during wear.

2. Lightly brush your night guard daily with a normal toothbrush. Toothpaste is not required or recommended, as it may scratch your night guard and cause it to wear out more quickly.

3. Always let your night guard dry completely. Do not store a wet night guard in a closed container.

4. Deep clean your night guard at least once a week. Your custom night guard will also come with a supply of cleaning tablets. Simply place the tab inside a bowl/glass of warm water and submerge your night guard completely in the solution for 3-5 minutes. Rinse and wash thoroughly afterwards, and allow the night guard to dry. Additional tablets can be purchased from enCore Laboratory or from your local pharmacy/drug store. Home cleaning remedies such has hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar also work well to clean your guard.

Just as your night guard needs to be cleaned regularly, your case needs be kept clean as saliva and germs can collect inside your case. Just wash your case routinely with warm water and soap and this will go a long way in helping you maintain your night guard.

Do not:

1. Use any alcohol-base solutions on your guard

2. Boil your night guard; the high temperature will distort and/or damage your guard

3. Store a wet guard in a closed container

18 AND UNDER: This product is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. Do not use hard guards for anyone under the age of 18. Soft guards can generally be used for anyone under 18 but please check with a dentist prior to any use. 

DO NOT USE: if you wear braces, dentures or other dental appliances; if you can wiggle any of your teeth; if you have any current tooth pain; if you have any oral sores, gum disease, or bleeding gums; and/or if you have sections of 2 or more missing teeth. 

DO NOT USE as an athletic mouth guard. This product does not absorb shock. 

ASK A DENTIST BEFORE USE: if you have loose fillings, loose caps, or cavities with no fillings; if you have clicking of your jaw, jaw pain, teeth pain, face pain, or have a hard time chewing; and/or if you have serious breathing, respiratory or other health problems.

STOP USE IMMEDIATELY: if you develop soreness, gum irritation or bleeding, or any other irritation in your mouth; if the product disrupts your breathing, causes any pain or discomfort, or gagging; and/or if the product changes your bite that lasts more than 10 minutes after removing the product.