Diagnosed With Bruxism? Here's What to Do Next — From People Who've Been There

A bruxism diagnosis tends to land in one of two ways. Either it explains something that has been bothering you for years — the morning headaches, sore jaw, chipped teeth — or it comes as a complete surprise, spotted by a dentist during a routine checkup when you felt perfectly fine. Either way, you're faced with condition you now have a name for and a decision about what to do next.

Jennifer Flynn's dentist made the stakes clear from the start:

"When my dentist explained the damage grinding your teeth at night does, and said if it continues for 20+ years, you could have a situation where it could affect your jaw and surgery, I took it seriously."

This post covers every meaningful option available after a bruxism diagnosis —  what the treatments are, how they work, what they cost, and how to choose between them. Throughout, you'll hear from real enCore guard customers who have navigated though this decision.

Why the Timing Matters

Damage from bruxism is cumulative and largely irreversible. Enamel worn away by grinding doesn't grow back. Cracked teeth require professional restoration — crowns, veneers, root canals — that can cost thousands of dollars per tooth. The jaw joint, subjected to forces of up to 250 pounds per episode, can develop chronic problems that become progressively harder to manage.

Your Treatment Options

Bruxism doesn't have a single cure, but there are well-established approaches that - when used together - can stop damage, relieve symptoms, and for many people, reduce grinding frequency over time.

A Custom Night Guard

A night guard — also called an occlusal splint or bite guard — is a removable appliance worn over the teeth during sleep. It's the first-line recommendation from dentists worldwide for bruxism. The guard creates a physical barrier between upper and lower teeth, absorbing and redistributing grinding force on the guard material rather than on enamel and jaw joints.

What a night guard doesn't do is stop the grinding behavior itself. The jaw will continue to attempt to grind.

Andrew Traines discovered the difference by experiencing both sides:

"My enCore night guards make a huge difference to the way my mouth feels in the morning...If, for some reason, I forget my night guard, I feel the pain in my jaw in the morning. Whenever I wear it, my jaw and mouth feel fine."

Stress Management

Stress is one of the most consistently documented drivers of bruxism. Addressing it directly is an important part of managing the effects of bruxism.

Cognitive behavioral therapy has the strongest evidence base among approaches. Working with a therapist to identify and interrupt stress patterns can reduce the frequency and intensity of grinding over time. Also, relaxation techniques practiced consistently before sleep — progressive muscle relaxation, mindful breathing, guided meditation — can also help.

This doesn't mean stress management replaces a night guard. That said, reducing the psychological load that feeds grinding can give you a better outcome than the guard alone.

Sleep habits matter in the same way. Caffeine in the afternoon and evening, alcohol before bed, irregular sleep schedules — all of these increase the physiological conditions that trigger nighttime grinding. Addressing these habits is part of managing the condition.

Daytime Awareness

Awake bruxism — clenching and grinding during conscious hours, typically in response to stress or concentration — affects more adults than sleep bruxism. Most people who have it don't realize how often it's happening. Sara K discovered her guard was doing something she hadn't anticipated:

"This guard has been AMAZING for it. It is not only protecting my teeth from clenching but also makes me realize that I am clenching so I can correct the behavior."

The guard can act as a feedback mechanism. By making Sara aware she was clenching, it created a moment of consciousness that didn't previously exist. Many people find that once they start paying attention — checking in with the jaw periodically during work, driving, or other high-concentration activities — they catch themselves clenching in situations they had never noticed before.

The natural resting position for the jaw has lips closed and teeth slightly apart. If your teeth are touching when you're not actively chewing or speaking, that's clenching.

Physical Therapy

For people who have developed significant jaw pain, limited jaw movement, or chronic muscle tension as a consequence of bruxism, physical therapy targeting the temporomandibular region can make a meaningful difference. Physical therapists who specialize in orofacial issues can work on myofascial release, targeted jaw stretching, and exercises that strengthen and balance the muscles controlling jaw movement.

Botox Injections

Botulinum toxin injections into the masseter muscles can significantly reduce grinding force. Effects typically last three to six months and require repeat treatment. This is generally a second-line approach — most appropriate for people who find even a well-fitted night guard insufficient, or who are dealing with severe jaw pain that other approaches haven't resolved. It's also not covered by most insurance plans. A night guard remains important protection even for people using Botox, since the injections reduce force rather than eliminate grinding.

Addressing Underlying Causes

Research indicates that 33 to 50% of people with obstructive sleep apnea also have sleep bruxism. If you snore heavily, wake frequently, or consistently feel unrested despite adequate time in bed, sleep apnea screening is worth discussing with your doctor alongside your bruxism treatment. Treating the apnea can reduce grinding as a secondary benefit. Similarly, if grinding started or significantly worsened after beginning a new medication, particularly an SSRI or stimulant, that connection is worth raising with the prescribing doctor.

Understanding Your Night Guard Options

Getting a guard is the most important immediate step after a bruxism diagnosis, but they span a wide range. Here's a breakdown.

OTC Boil-and-Bite Guards ($15–$50)

Drugstore guards are accessible and cheap and they're better than nothing. The problem is that "better than nothing" is basically the ceiling of what they offer.

Lisa Cooper worked through multiple OTC options before her diagnosis made the stakes undeniable:

"I bought several over the counter mouth guards. I could never find one that I truly liked and definitely not one that was comfortable. I had like six of them by the side of my bed to pick from when I went to bed at night."

A guard that's uncomfortable enough to skip is a guard that isn't doing its job. Boil-and-bite guards rarely provide the comfort or stability that makes nightly use effortless.

Kanji Yamamoto had tried both OTC guards and a dentist-made bulky guard before finding something he could actually wear:

"I've used all kinds of OTC night guards, and even consulted my dentist who made me something bigger and bulky which hurt my jaw for weeks."

A Custom Guard From Your Dentist ($300–$1,000+)

A dentist-ordered custom guard is made from a precise in-office impression and produced by a dental laboratory. The materials are professional-grade and the fit, when the process is well-executed, is excellent. The cost reflects all of it - office overhead, staff time, and practice markup.

Morgan Coppersmith looked at the in-office price and knew there had to be another path:

"My dentist recently recommended that I start wearing a night guard. After hearing the cost (with insurance) for one at the dentist, I knew there had to be a better option out there."

Janine Chapman ran into the insurance problem that compounds the cost issue for many:

"Many insurance plans won't cover bite guards because they claim they are not dental. Your MD needs to give you a TMJ diagnosis and even then the insurance doesn't want to cover them. So this is a great alternative to fighting with your insurance company or paying the dentist $600."

Theresa Bartlett had no dental insurance at all:

"I do not have dental insurance, so this would have cost over $450. Instead I received this within 2 weeks and paid well under $150."

The dentist route makes sense for those with solid insurance coverage or for complex cases that warrant close professional supervision. For most people with straightforward bruxism, the lab-made guard is the same product — the difference is in how it reaches you.

A Custom Lab Guard Ordered Online ($100–$200)

This is the option that has transformed access to quality bruxism protection. You order online, receive an impression kit, take your own dental molds at home, submit a photo for review before shipping them back, and receive a professionally made custom guard — typically within one to two weeks.

The guard is made in the same type of dental laboratory, with the same materials and specifications, as a dentist-ordered guard.

Patricia Lucacio had gone through the dentist route first and knew exactly what she was comparing against:

"I wish I had known about enCore before I spent more than double through my dentist's office. My last guard from the dentist didn't fit well. The dentist's office had to grind it down to get it to fit well. It lasted 2 years but was large. I couldn't speak when I had it in my mouth. The enCore guard fit right the first time. It is very comfortable and not as large. I can speak when it's in my mouth."

Better fit and more comfortable. Fits so naturally she can speak with it in. Half the price.

Also, custom night guard purchases are eligible for HSA and FSA account spending, which means you can use pre-tax dollars to pay for them. Kanji Yamamoto flagged it specifically: "It's also nice it's FSA reimbursable." Depending on your tax bracket, this reduces the effective out-of-pocket cost by 22–32%.

Choosing the Right Type of Guard

Once you've decided to get a custom guard, you'll choose a material and construction. For bruxism management, this choice depends on your specific grinding profile.

Soft Guards

Soft guards are comfortable from the first night and easy to adapt to, which makes them the natural starting point for many people — particularly lighter grinders. The flexible material is gentle against teeth and doesn't have the rigid edge of an acrylic guard.

The limitation is durability. A hard, dedicated grinder can compress or wear through soft material more quickly than other types. And some research suggests that the softer material can encourage grinding.

Best for: Light to moderate grinding, clenching, first-time wearers, anyone whose biggest priority is immediate comfort.

Hard Guards

Hard acrylic guards are what dentists most commonly prescribe for active bruxism. The rigid surface creates a stable, consistent jaw position, distributes grinding force evenly without compression, and doesn't give the jaw anything to bite into. They typically last longer under sustained heavy use.

The adjustment period is longer. Hard guards don't feel as immediately comfortable as soft ones, and most wearers take about a week to adapt fully. The tradeoff in durability and protection is worth it for moderate to heavy grinders.

Best for: Moderate to heavy grinding, people with TMJ symptoms, anyone who has worn through soft guards quickly.

Hybrid (Dual-Laminate) Guards

A hybrid guard combines a soft inner layer for comfort with a hard outer shell for durability and stable jaw positioning. For moderate to heavy grinders, this is often the optimal combination.

David Summerville, who can shred a soft guard in a week, has been using hybrids from enCore for years:

"Hard guards are not very comfortable. The Hybrid Guard is the best of both worlds. I've been buying hybrid upper guards from enCore for years and they always fit perfect, feel super comfortable, and last 6–12 months."

Charisse Tietjen came to enCore having already tried a dentist's hard guard and a competitor's version:

"The hybrid is new to me. I've had the dentist's office hard and an online competitor's guard. The hybrid is more comfortable and I am pleased with the enCore experience."

Best for: Moderate to moderately-heavy grinding, people who want durability without the full adjustment curve of a hard guard.

Ultra Thin Guards

A retainer-style guard in a thin, rigid material — minimal bulk, barely noticeable in the mouth. Best for lighter grinding and clenching, or for people whose primary difficulty with previous guards has been the feeling of something bulky between their teeth.

Mark Neidert had been given two dentist-made guards, both too thick and bulky to tolerate:

"I had two different mouth guards made by my dentist. They were so thick and bulky that I couldn't tolerate either one. My son told me about the enCore guard and how thin and comfortable it was. I am glad I gave it a try. I can now wear this and literally forget I'm wearing it."

Anne Wenta found a use case beyond nighttime:

"I got a bottom guard so I can wear it during the day as well and no one knows I am wearing it."

For daytime clenching during work, driving, or exercise, the ultra thin guard extends protection into waking hours without announcing itself.

Best for: Light grinding, daytime clenching, people who've struggled with traditional guard bulk.

What to Expect When You Start

The first few nights with a new guard will trigger awareness of something new in your mouth. That's expected, almost universal, and temporary. Most people adapt within one to two weeks.

Morgan Coppersmith tracked his own adjustment precisely:

"After a few nights of sleeping with it, I don't even notice it now."

Erich Kertzscher, who was diagnosed at 60 and initially skeptical, found the same trajectory:

"It fit great and now it's just habit to wear it."

Consistency is of utmost importance. A guard worn occasionally provides occasional protection. Give the guard four to six weeks of nightly use before evaluating its impact on symptoms — jaw muscles that have been chronically tight for years don't release in a single week.

The Cost Argument for Prevention

The financial case for a custom night guard doesn't require much arithmetic. A single dental crown runs $800 to $3,500. A root canal followed by a crown runs $1,500 to $4,500. A single-tooth implant, if a tooth is lost entirely, runs $3,000 to $6,000 or more. An enCore custom guard runs $119 to $200 and lasts one to three years with proper care.

Danielle Duprey's "endless cycle of chipping teeth and replacing fillings" ended the year she got her guard.

Theresa Bartlett's numbers were concrete: a dentist quote of over $450 versus a guard delivered in two weeks for under $150. Helene Heldorfer paid roughly $600 less than her dentist would have charged for.

What Not to Do After a Bruxism Diagnosis

Don't treat OTC guards as a long-term solution. They rarely fit well enough for consistent nightly use, and the people who try them most often end up with a pile of abandoned options and untreated grinding. They're a bridge, not a destination.

Don't skip protection because you're uncertain whether it'll help. The evidence on custom-fitted guards for bruxism is consistent and unambiguous. The people who skip protection out of skepticism, then return after a dentist flags more damage, uniformly say they wish they'd started sooner.

Don't let dentist pricing stop the conversation. The dentist quote is a starting point, not the only option.

And don't assume cost equals quality. Patricia Lucacio's dentist-made guard didn't fit on delivery, required grinding down, and was too large to speak with. Her enCore guard fit right the first time, felt comfortable from the start, and she could speak normally while wearing it. 

How enCore Works

Every enCore guard is made from a dental impression of your specific teeth — not a generic mold. The impression kit is mailed to you. You take the molds at home, guided by a step-by-step video and written instructions, submit a photo for review before shipping them back, and receive your professionally made custom guard in approximately one to two weeks.

Production happens in our FDA-registered, ISO 13485 and 9001 certified facility, by trained dental technicians, using 100% BPA-free, FDA-approved materials. The product is the same as what a dental lab makes for your dentist — because it's made in a dental lab, with the same process and materials. 

Every guard comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee on fit. HSA and FSA cards are accepted at checkout. Your impressions are kept on file, so if you need a replacement and your bite hasn't changed significantly, you don't need to repeat the impression process.

Not sure which guard type is right for your situation? Our guard selection guide walks through the decision based on your grinding severity and comfort preferences. Or explore our full collection to get started.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional dental or medical advice. If you have been diagnosed with bruxism or are experiencing related symptoms, we recommend consulting your dentist for a proper evaluation and personalized treatment plan.