Teeth grinding can lead to long-term damage and extremely expensive dental bills.
You have three options for halting the damage to your teeth in its tracks:
Over the counter mouth guards purchased at the local drug store or online may seem cheaper up front, and will certainly get you set up quickly but if you keep using them they will wear out fast and it’ll cost you more in the long run. You’ll have to compromise fit and comfort because they just are not quite as good as the custom made guards.
You can also buy a high quality custom-made night guard from your dentist but you’ll end up paying between $300-600.
There is a third option emerging that allows you to keep the fit and comfort without the exorbitant price. You can order online directly from a professional dental lab like J&S Dental Lab and receive the same quality custom night guard as you would from a dentist but for only a fraction of the cost.
J&S Dental Lab Impression Instructions
- The kit comes with 3 mouth trays. After figuring out which one is “most comfortable”, choose the tray that is ONE SIZE BIGGER. Your mouthpiece needs to go around the back of your molars or it won’t stay on.
- Mix the two putties together. Work quickly since the putty starts to dry after a minute or so. Roll it into a “hotdog shape” and place it in the tray.
- Push the tray firmly onto your teeth (but don’t bite down) and hold it still for about 5 minutes. By the time you pull it out the putty will be firm.
- Put your mold as well as the unused trays in the prepaid envelope and pop it in the mailbox. Be sure to include the information sheet that came with the kit! (This is how they know it’s yours.)
- About a 2 weeks from ordering you’ll receive your custom night guard.
- It also comes with a free case. Most reviewers love it, but it does take some getting used to! Especially if you’re not used to wearing night guards.
How long do they last?
Hardness and Thickness Parameters

Very impressed by both the product and the customer service. I’ve used upper guards in the past, but I had heard that many people found the lower ones more comfortable, so I decided to try this cheap one from J&S Dental Lab so I wouldn’t be out $500 from my dentist if I hated it. However, I’ve now been wearing it for about a month and I can’t picture myself going back to upper mouth guards (or dentist mouth guards for that matter). It takes some time to get used to, but it’s definitely worth it.-Dee