The price you’ll pay for a custom mouthguard swings wildly based on where you buy it, what it’s made of, and what job it’s doing. A sports guard meant to absorb impact plays a different role than a night guard for grinding, and the price tags reflect that. Before you commit, it helps to know which type you actually need and what the different price brackets get you.
What Type Of Mouthguard Do You Actually Need?
Mouthguards fall into two broad camps with very different jobs. Sports mouthguards protect your teeth and jaw from impact during physical activity. Night guards, also called occlusal guards, are designed for sleep bruxism and clenching — they sit between your teeth to stop grinding damage while you sleep.
TMJ guards target jaw joint issues, and boil-and-bite guards are the one-size-fits-all option you soften in hot water and press onto your teeth.
Don’t assume one type works for another. A sports guard doesn’t have the bite surface to handle grinding, and a night guard won’t absorb the blunt force of a hockey puck. Buy for your specific use case.
Breaking Down The Price Ranges
The market splits into three clear brackets.
| Type | Typical Price | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| OTC boil-and-bite | $15–$30 | One-size-fits-all, no custom fit |
| Online custom sports guard | $60–$220 | Impression kit, lab-fabricated, thickness options |
| Online custom night guard | $100–$300 | Custom lab fit for grinding and clenching |
| Dentist-made custom guard | $200–$1,000+ | Professional fitting, adjustments, highest-end materials |
Thickness drives price within custom sports guards.
Why Dentist-Made Guards Cost So Much More
The premium for a dentist-made guard covers professional fitting and adjustment. Your dentist takes precise impressions, checks the bite alignment, and fine-tunes the fit in-office. That hands-on process is why dual-laminated and custom options can push past $1,000.
Online custom labs skip the office visit. You take your own impression at home with a kit, mail it in, and receive a lab-fabricated guard built to that mold. The trade-off is convenience and cost, but you lose the in-person adjustment a dentist provides. For many grinders, the online route works fine — just check whether the listed price includes the impression kit, shipping, and any warranty before you order.
When you’re ready to compare specific brands and see which custom mouthguard fits your budget and habit, our tested roundup of the best custom mouthguards breaks down the top options side by side.
What Are The Common Mistakes People Make?
The biggest mistake is assuming a $20 OTC guard equals a custom-fitted one. It doesn’t. A boil-and-bite guard offers basic protection but lacks the precision fit that keeps a custom guard comfortable overnight or during impact.
Other common errors: comparing products without checking type, thickness, and use case; ignoring whether the price includes the impression kit and shipping; and treating all custom mouthguards as interchangeable when you actually need a specific guard for sports, grinding, or TMJ issues. A guard that’s perfect for the gym is a poor fit for the bed.
References & Sources
- American Association of Orthodontists. “How Much Should Mouthguards Cost?” Explains the $20–$1,000 range and what drives the price.
- GoodRx. “Night Guard Cost.” Details typical prices for OTC, online, and dentist-made night guards.
- Dentaly. “Night Guard Cost.” Breaks down price ranges for custom and dentist-made options.