A night guard, also known as a mouth guard or dental split, is a device made of plastic that covers all or part of the teeth. It is typically worn through the night to prevent you from grinding your teeth while you are sleeping.

Generally, soft guards are best avoided. Whilst they stop the teeth meeting, they can actually worsen a patient’s teeth grinding. A night guard is often made of dual laminate or plastic whilst an occlusal splint (a much more accurately adjusted appliance) is made from acrylic and more likely to prevent grinding as well as stopping the teeth actually contacting.