Protect your child’s smile with custom Night Guards & Sports Mouthguards in Laguna Niguel. Our Mouthguards are built for comfort and safety and they help prevent teeth grinding and sports injuries. Ready to keep their teeth safe? Book a consultation today!
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If your child plays soccer, rides a bike or skateboard, or you have noticed them clenching their jaw while they sleep, you have probably already thought about protecting their teeth. Dental injuries in children are more common than many parents realize, and so is bruxism, the clinical term for teeth grinding. Both can be addressed with a properly fitted guard.
At Kidz Modern Dentistry in Laguna Niguel, Dr. Lida Pishbin and Dr. Solmaz Shir fit custom night guards for children who grind or clench, and custom sports mouthguards for kids in contact and high-impact activities. Each guard is made for your child’s mouth, so it fits comfortably enough to actually get worn.
Real families sharing their experiences with our pediatric dental care.
A night guard is a removable appliance worn over the teeth during sleep. It creates a barrier between the upper and lower teeth so that grinding or clenching does not wear down enamel, chip teeth, or strain the jaw. Children who grind at night may wake up with headaches, a sore jaw, or sensitive teeth.
The causes of grinding in children are not always clear. Stress, anxiety, sleep problems, and the changing bite as baby teeth give way to permanent teeth can all play a part. A night guard does not remove the cause, but it protects the teeth from the damage while the dentist keeps an eye on the habit. A guard for a child also has to be made with their smaller mouth and growing jaw in mind.
For families coming from communities like Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, or Laguna Hills, all appointments take place at the Laguna Niguel office on La Paz Road.
Because grinding usually happens during sleep, parents often do not see it directly. The dentist can often spot the wear it leaves on the teeth at a routine checkup before anyone notices at home.
Clues worth watching for include:
Not every child who grinds needs a night guard. In some young children, grinding fades on its own once the permanent teeth come in.
When grinding continues or is already wearing down the teeth, the dentist can recommend a night guard and check whether anything else, such as stress or a sleep issue, is worth discussing with your child’s pediatrician.
A sports mouthguard cushions the teeth, lips, tongue, and jaw against blows during activity. According to the American Dental Association, contact sports carry the highest risk, but children can also injure their teeth in non-contact activities like gymnastics and skating.
Many families start using a mouthguard as soon as their child joins organized sports, treating it as standard gear alongside a helmet or shin guards.
There are three main types:
Stock mouthguards, which come pre-formed and ready to wear but often fit poorly and can feel bulky
Boil-and-bite mouthguards, which are softened in hot water and shaped by biting down for a better fit than stock
Custom mouthguards, made by a dentist from a model of your child’s teeth, which the ADA calls the best option
If a tooth is chipped or knocked out during a game, pediatric dental emergency care can make a real difference in saving it.
Slots for emergency dental visits available today. Don't let your child's dental pain wait. Call or text us now!
The difference comes down to fit, coverage, and comfort. A guard that fits precisely stays in place during activity, which matters both for protection and for whether your child is willing to keep wearing it. Store-bought guards are made to generic tooth shapes, so gaps and uneven pressure are more likely.
For night guards, fit matters even more. A bulky or loose guard can disrupt sleep, and many children take it out without realizing it during the night. A custom night guard is shaped to allow comfortable breathing and natural jaw position, which makes it much easier for a child to get used to.
Children’s mouths change quickly, so the fit of a custom guard is checked at each preventive checkup and replaced when your child outgrows it.
They are similar in concept but built for different jobs. Night guards are thinner and less bulky so a child can sleep in one for hours. They spread the pressure of grinding and clenching across the teeth without getting in the way of breathing or jaw position during rest.
Sports mouthguards are designed to absorb and spread out the force of a sudden hit. They are thicker in the areas most likely to take a blow and made from materials that hold up under impact.
Using one in place of the other is generally not a good idea. A sports guard can be too bulky to sleep in, and a night guard may not protect enough during a game. The dentist can help you decide whether your child needs one guard or both.
Good care keeps the guard clean and working longer. Rinse it before and after each use, or brush it gently with a toothbrush and toothpaste, and clean it regularly in cool, soapy water. Store it in a sturdy, vented case so it can dry, and keep it out of the sun and hot water, which can warp it.
Bring the guard to dental checkups so the fit and condition can be checked. Replace it right away if it is worn, damaged, or no longer fits. Children and teens usually need replacements more often than adults because their mouths are still growing.
Children with braces benefit from a mouthguard too, since a blow to the face can damage brackets and cut the cheeks and lips. The dentist can recommend a design that works with the braces, and orthodontic monitoring keeps track of how the bite is changing along the way.
Pediatric Dentist & Practice Owner
Board Certified Pediatric Dentist
Diplomate by American Board of
Pediatric Dentistry
Pediatric Dentist & Practice Owner
Board Certified Pediatric Dentist
Diplomate by American Board of
Pediatric Dentistry
Kidz Modern Dentistry works with most major dental insurance plans, and the team verifies your benefits before the appointment so you know what to expect. Coverage for night guards and sports mouthguards varies by plan. For families without dental insurance, the KMD Total Care membership plans are available as an alternative. The plan details are listed further down this page. To ask about coverage or to schedule a fitting for your child, contact our Laguna Niguel office by phone or through the online booking form.
Experience total freedom in your child’s dental care. Our membership removes the barriers found in traditional insurance — no caps, no delays, and no denials. Review the benefits and exclusions to see how effortless care can be.
Common questions parents ask, answered by our pediatric dental experts.
The process typically involves two appointments. At the first visit, the dentist takes an impression or digital scan of your child's teeth. A model is then sent to a dental laboratory where the appliance is fabricated, which usually takes one to two weeks. At the second appointment, the finished guard is fitted and adjusted as needed to achieve a comfortable, secure fit.
Most children adjust to wearing a night guard within a few nights to a couple of weeks. A well-fitted custom appliance is designed to sit passively over the teeth without requiring jaw tension to hold it in place, which makes it considerably more comfortable than generic options. Encouraging consistent use from the start and framing it as a normal part of bedtime routine can help younger children adapt more quickly.
Children's mouths change more rapidly than adults', so more frequent replacement is often necessary. As a general rule, mouthguards should be evaluated at each dental checkup for fit, wear, and overall condition. Even if the appliance looks undamaged, a child who has experienced significant tooth eruption or jaw growth may need a new one to maintain adequate coverage and proper fit [2].
While mouthguards are most commonly associated with contact sports such as football, wrestling, and hockey, dental injuries can occur in any athletic setting. The ADA recommends that athletes in any sport where there is a possibility of a blow to the face consider wearing a mouthguard [2]. This includes sports like basketball, baseball, soccer, and even skateboarding.
Research suggests that psychological factors including stress and anxiety may contribute to bruxism in children, though the relationship is complex and not fully understood. Some children go through bruxism episodes during particularly stressful periods such as starting a new school year, and the habit resolves on its own. A pediatric dentist can help you assess the severity of your child's grinding and determine whether additional support beyond a night guard may be helpful.
Yes, in many cases the impression or digital scan needed to begin the mouthguard fabrication process can be done at a routine checkup appointment. Your dentist will let you know whether your child's situation calls for a dedicated fitting appointment or whether it can be incorporated into a scheduled visit.
Longer reads from our pediatric dental team, for parents who want the detail behind the visit.
What is pediatric bruxism and how common is it? What causes teeth grinding in children? What signs and symptoms should...
Read More: Why Do Kids Grind Their Teeth? Causes, Signs, and Solutions
What should you do first when your child has a toothache? What are the most common reasons for toothache in...
Read More: What To Do If Your Child Has A Toothache
What makes cavities so common in children and why do they matter? How do pediatric dentists prevent cavities before they...
Read More: How Pediatric Dentists Prevent Cavities Before They StartSlots for emergency dental visits available today. Don't let your child's dental pain wait. Call or text us now!
We serve families from Southern Orange County, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano and surrounding communities with comprehensive pediatric dental care.
Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
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