FAQs

A dental office requires a lot of equipment and materials to operate properly, all of which are somewhat expensive. In addition, the staff (including the dentist) needs to be paid, as they deserve to be for the excellent care they give their patients. These expenses increase the value and cost of what dentists refer to as "chair time", which translates to higher fees to patients. In a way, all of this sets a "minimum price" for dental procedures. For most procedures this is a good deal - the dentist does something that cannot be done elsewhere for a fair price (try doing your own root canal!). But night guards are different. In most cases, the bulk of the work is done by the lab technician, who is usually not in the dental office. We offer our lab technician services directly to you instead of first needing to go to the dentist and paying the dental office markup. By working directly with our professional lab and taking the impressions yourself, you get the same product and save a lot of money compared to the dentist.

All of our products feature a 30-day money back guarantee. This means that if you decide you do not want the night guard after all, you can return it and receive a full refund. If you are dissatisfied because your guard doesn’t fit comfortably, we will gladly adjust it to ensure you are happy. However if you decide you don’t want it, you can get a full refund.

Over-the-counter or “pharmacy” night guards are a one-size-fits-all approach to a very specific and unique situation. Everyone’s dentition is different, which is why everyone should have a properly fitting night guard made from the best materials that pass rigorous biocompatibility testing. Over-the-counter night guards tend to be bulky and uncomfortable, and may be made of questionable materials, depending on the source. You only have one set of teeth; it makes sense to protect them with the best care you can get, especially when it’s so affordable compared to going to the dentist.

In the unlikely event that your night guard doesn’t fit we will adjust it, or provide you with a new guard at no extra charge to ensure you are satisfied. Again, most night guards will fit beautifully right away.

Each of our night guards are made from materials that have received the appropriate clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are of the highest quality available, and made in the US. The materials include EVA, E-gasket laminates and 3D printing resins. All materials are free of latex, BPA, gluten and residual monomers.

The impression material we use in our at-home kits is known as polyvinyl-siloxane putty (commonly referred to as "PVS" or "VPS"). It has been used successfully in dentistry for many years and is an appropriately cleared medical device. PVS material is known for excellent strength and accuracy. It is reliable and completely safe.

Taking your own teeth impressions is actually pretty easy. For detailed instructions, please visit our “Impressions” page. We will provide you with everything you need to take great impressions at home when you order any night guard.

We include extra impression material in every kit, so if you need more material you will have some immediately available. If something goes wrong and you need even more material, no problem. Just send us an email at support@biteknight.com with your order number and we will ship more impression material to you at no charge.

We’ve got some pictures and examples of both good and bad impressions on our “Impressions” page to help you get a great impression at home. If you’re still unsure, please just email us a few pictures of the impression from different angles to support@biteknight.com. We should be able to determine whether the impression is good enough to send in, or if we should send you some more material to try again.

Once we receive your impression, it takes 3-5 working days to make your guard and ship it back to you. Please note that this does not include shipping time. Usually shipments take a little less than a week, but this has increased from time to time due to issues related to COVID-19. Feel free to email us at support@biteknight.com if you have any questions or concerns about this.

Issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic are stressful for all of us. To help ease your minds (and ours!) we have implemented enhanced disinfection protocols in our lab. This means that we disinfect all materials, impression trays and night guards we send you, as well as taking extra steps to disinfect incoming impressions. Remember, BITEKNIGHT is an experienced dental lab that has been dealing with issues relating to disinfecting impressions and oral appliances for many, many years, so we know how to protect you and those that work in our lab.

Using a mild soap and a light brush (such as an older toothbrush) is a good system for gently scrubbing and cleaning your guard. Additionally, you can use denture or retainer tablets. Do not leave your night guard soaking in any solution, including water, for excessive periods.

Absolutely! We often wear a guard during the day to protect against clenching which sometimes happens unconsciously. In most cases you can still talk comfortably with the guard on your teeth. Wearing your guard at night generally offers the best protection, because this is when we tend to have the heaviest clenching and grinding forces.

If you have worn through the guard in certain places, if you notice an odor coming from the guard, or if you just want a guard that looks new and fresh, it’s a good time for a replacement.

All of our night guards are custom fit to a model of your teeth, so it’s important to have an accurate record of them before we begin making your guard. Custom night guards will be much more comfortable and provide much better protection than a boil and bite or other “universal” night guard.

This depends a lot on your personal habits and the type of guard you choose. We have 3 options for night guard materials, and some of these come in different thicknesses too, which gives you quite a range of protection for your teeth. The stronger and thicker a night guard is, the longer it will last. Our Flex guard will generally last about 3 months until it begins to wear too heavily to provide adequate protection. The hybrid nature of our Shield guard helps give it longer performance - generally between 5-6 months. Our Armor guard is made from a new, extremely durable material that can last 12 months or more.

Usually the best option is for the upper teeth - this is what the vast majority of our customers choose. However we can make a night guard for your lower teeth, or for both. If you have any questions about which arch (upper or lower) to get, please feel free to email us at support@biteknight.com.

Our Flex guard comes in 2mm and 3mm thicknesses and our Shield guard comes in 1.5mm, 2mm and 3mm thicknesses. Note that these are the thicknesses before the guard is fully formed. It will be thinner in certain areas after the manufacturing process is complete. Our Armor guard has variable thickness from about 0.5mm to 2mm throughout the guard. All of our night guards are comfortable to wear through the night.

Our night guards are not intended for people that are wearing metal or ceramic orthodontic brackets (braces) on their teeth. Please consult your orthodontist if you are concerned about clenching and grinding during ortho treatment.

Please do not order a guard from our store if you have serious periodontal issues or have teeth that are loose or mobile. Consult with your dentist, oral surgeon or periodontist before pursuing therapy for clenching or teeth grinding.

We don’t recommend using your guard as a bleaching tray for several reasons. First, it can negatively impact the performance of the night guard material over time. Second, we contour our night guards so they completely protect and cover the occlusal (biting) surfaces of your teeth, but we relieve them in some areas closer to the gumline to make them more comfortable. This contouring will make them less effective at holding bleach against the tooth, which could make whitening uneven. Additionally, we make our whitening trays with a reservoir on each tooth to hold the whitening gel. A night guard on the other hand should fit more tightly to the teeth. So a properly made night guard would displace most of the whitening gel, making the treatment less effective.

If you sign up for a subscription plan, you have the option of canceling your subscription at any time before your next “installment” of custom night guards. There is no fee or charge for canceling a subscription, and you may cancel up until the point at which the subscription product ships to you.

We accept most major credit cards, Paypal, and Google Pay in our store.

Yes, we accept FSA and HSA debit cards. Just be sure to retain the records of your transaction for reporting purposes. If you used another method of payment, you can still reimburse yourself with funds from your FSA/HSA with the same transaction records as backup.

Simply email us at support@biteknight.com to let us know if you would like to cancel an order.

If you’ve never had a night guard before, you can visit our night guard page. We’ll explain some of the considerations you should use in making your decision. Remember that even if you change your mind about which guard to get, we are committed to your satisfaction, so we’ll work with you to get you matched with the perfect guard.

Customization of some of the night guards is possible. Please let us know what you have in mind by emailing us at support@biteknight.com, and remember to include your order number.

Yes, you can change the guard type if you decide you want a different option after receiving your guard. You will only need to pay the difference in cost between your original guard and your new choice.

Yes, we digitally scan and store all impressions in our HIPAA-compliant database so you won’t need to redo the impression process when it’s time to order a new guard. However, if you’ve had any dental work such as crowns, fillings, implants or veneers, definitely let us know before ordering by emailing us at support@biteknight.com. We will need to know more about your specific procedure before we can determine whether new impressions are required.

There is no extra charge for shipping for any of our night guards or impression kits. The price you see is the price you pay!