Comfort & Specialized Care
3D-Printed Nightguards & 3D Digital Impressions
Custom nightguards designed from a comfortable digital scan and 3D-printed for a precise fit, usually ready in just a couple of days.
If you wake up with a sore jaw, tension headaches, or teeth that look shorter and flatter than they used to, nighttime clenching and grinding may be the reason. A custom nightguard is the simplest way to protect your teeth and let your jaw rest — and ours skip everything people dislike about getting one.
Why grinding matters
Clenching and grinding (bruxism) puts far more force on your teeth than normal chewing, and a lot of it happens while you’re asleep and unaware of it. Over months and years, that force can wear down enamel, crack fillings, and loosen crowns, and it can strain the jaw joints and muscles that hold everything together. Stress, sleep quality, and bite alignment can all play a role. A nightguard doesn’t stop the grinding itself, but it puts a protective, cushioning layer between your upper and lower teeth so the force has somewhere safe to go.
Why a custom guard beats a store-bought one
Store-bought “boil and bite” guards are molded roughly, by hand, at home. Because the fit isn’t precise, they tend to contact your opposing teeth unevenly — some teeth take the full brunt of a clench while others barely touch the guard at all. A guard built from an exact scan of your bite is contoured so every tooth meets it with even, balanced force, which is a meaningfully different experience for your jaw over months of nightly wear.
Scanned, printed, and fitted in days
- No impression goop. We capture your teeth with a comfortable Primescan 3D digital scan — a small wand and a few minutes, instead of a mouthful of putty.
- 3D-printed precision. Your guard is printed on our SprintRay 3D printer from your exact scan, so it fits the way it should from the first night.
- A couple of days, not weeks. Most nightguards are ready to fit within a few days of your scan.
- Easy replacements. Your scan stays on file, so a lost or worn-out guard doesn’t mean starting over — we can print another from the same data.
Next steps
The same digital impressions power much of our care here at our Thousand Oaks office, from CEREC same-day crowns to planning cosmetic work — one more way technology makes visits easier on you. Grinding is also one of the most common contributors to jaw pain, migraines, and TMJ trouble. If any of that sounds familiar, mention it at your next visit or give us a call.
Common questions
Why would I need a nightguard?
If you clench or grind your teeth at night, a custom nightguard protects your teeth, fillings, crowns, and veneers from wear, and gives strained jaw muscles and joints a chance to rest. Many people grind for years without knowing it — worn, flattened teeth and morning jaw tension are common clues.
How is a 3D-printed nightguard different from a regular one?
Instead of a tray of impression goop, we take a quick digital scan of your teeth with our Primescan scanner and 3D-print the guard on our SprintRay printer. The result is a precise, comfortable fit — and because your scan stays on file, a replacement is easy to make.
How long does it take to get my nightguard?
Usually just a couple of days from scan to fitting. Traditional lab-made guards often take weeks.
What are 3D digital impressions like?
A small camera wand glides over your teeth and builds an accurate 3D model on screen in minutes. No trays, no gagging, no goop — and the digital model is more precise than many traditional impressions.
Why not just use a store-bought night guard?
"Boil and bite" guards from the drugstore are molded roughly by hand, so they often distribute biting force unevenly across your teeth. That uneven contact can worsen jaw discomfort or headaches even while the guard is protecting your enamel. A custom guard is contoured from your exact scan so opposing teeth meet it evenly, spreading force the way it should be spread.