Can I just buy a night guard at the drugstore instead?

You can, but store-bought guards are a generic fit and often less comfortable and less protective than a custom guard made specifically for your bite.

How do I know if my jaw pain is from grinding or something else?

It's hard to tell on your own, since several conditions can cause similar symptoms. An exam that checks for tooth wear and evaluates your bite and jaw is the reliable way to find out.

Does a night guard stop grinding completely?

A night guard doesn't stop the grinding habit itself, but it protects your teeth from the wear and reduces strain on the jaw while grinding continues.

Night Guards: Do You Actually Need One?

night guards: do you actually need one?

By Dr. Aakash Rana, DDS · Updated September 2026 · 4 min read

Short answer: Signs like morning jaw soreness, headaches, or worn-down teeth often point to nighttime grinding, which a custom night guard can help protect against. An exam is the best way to confirm if you actually need one.

Night guards come up a lot in conversations about teeth grinding, but not everyone who grinds their teeth realizes it, since it happens during sleep and leaves no memory behind. Here's how to tell if you might need one, what separates a custom guard from something off a store shelf, and how to actually find out for sure rather than guessing based on a symptom or two.

Signs You Might Be Grinding at Night

Because nighttime grinding, or bruxism, happens while you're asleep, most people don't catch themselves doing it. Instead, it tends to show up through its effects: waking up with a sore or tight jaw, morning headaches near the temples, teeth that feel sensitive for no clear reason, or a partner mentioning they've heard grinding sounds at night. Over time, grinding can also visibly flatten or wear down tooth edges, which a dentist can spot during a routine exam even if you've never noticed a symptom yourself. This is one of the reasons routine cleanings and checkups matter even when nothing feels obviously wrong. A pattern that's easy to miss on your own is often obvious to a trained eye looking at the right spots.

Why Untreated Grinding Adds Up Over Time

An occasional night of grinding, say during a particularly stressful week, usually isn't a major concern. The issue is a consistent, ongoing pattern, which can gradually wear down enamel, increase tooth sensitivity, contribute to jaw joint strain, and in some cases stress existing dental work like crowns or fillings. None of this happens overnight in the literal sense, but it does compound the longer it goes unaddressed, which is why catching a grinding habit early tends to be far simpler than repairing the wear it eventually causes. A guard is a small, low-effort step compared to restoring damage that's already been done.

Custom Night Guards vs. Store-Bought Options

Store-bought guards are a generic shape meant to fit a wide range of mouths, which often means they're bulkier, less comfortable, and don't always stay in place well through a full night's sleep. A custom night guard is made from an actual mold or scan of your teeth, fitting your bite specifically, which tends to mean better comfort, more consistent overnight wear, and more even, appropriate protection where you actually need it. For a guard you'll be wearing regularly, the fit genuinely matters, and a guard that doesn't stay in place overnight isn't protecting your teeth while you sleep, even if you put it in before bed. The added comfort also makes it far more likely you'll actually keep wearing it night after night, rather than giving up on it after a week.

What an Exam Can Tell You That Guessing Can't

Not every case of jaw soreness or worn teeth is from grinding specifically, and not everyone who grinds needs the same type of guard. An exam can confirm whether grinding is actually happening, assess how much wear has occurred, and rule out other causes like a bite issue that might need a different approach entirely. This distinction matters because treating the wrong underlying cause won't solve the problem, no matter how well-fitted the guard itself turns out to be. A guard treats the symptom of grinding, not any bite issue that might be contributing to it, which is exactly why the two get evaluated separately.

Finding Out If You Need One

If you're waking up with jaw soreness, morning headaches, or you've noticed your teeth looking a little more worn than they used to, it's worth having it checked rather than guessing. Prana Dental's free consult (a $700 value) includes the exam needed to see whether a custom night guard makes sense for you. Book a visit to get a clear answer instead of living with symptoms that a simple guard could likely prevent.

Caring for a Night Guard Once You Have One

A custom night guard is worth taking care of properly, since it's made specifically for your bite. Rinsing it with water and giving it a gentle brush each morning keeps it clean without damaging the material, and storing it in its case rather than a nightstand drawer or bathroom counter helps it avoid cracks, warping from heat, or getting lost entirely. Bringing it along to routine dental visits so your provider can check the fit is also a good habit, since a guard that no longer fits well isn't protecting your teeth the way it should. A well-maintained guard can last for a long stretch of regular use, which makes the small daily habits around it well worth the effort.