Services
Mouth Guards
Custom night guards ease teeth grinding while sports guards protect active smiles — we make both for all ages.
Why choose us
Benefits of Mouth Guards
Protection While You Sleep
Our night guards cushion the teeth against grinding and clenching so you wake with less jaw soreness and wear.
Safer Game Days
Our sports guards help shield teeth, lips, and jaws from impact for athletes of all ages.
Custom, Not Off-The-Shelf
Each guard is made to fit your own bite, so it stays comfortable and stays put.
On-Site Dental Lab
Our in-house lab means your guard is crafted right here, with easy adjustments if anything needs fine-tuning.
Care For Jaw Pain
If clenching is tied to TMJ discomfort or jaw-related headaches, we also offer TMJ/TMD therapy.
A worn-down edge on a front tooth, a cracked molar after a weekend game, or waking up with a sore jaw and a dull headache — these are the kinds of clues that bring people in to ask about a mouth guard. A custom guard is a thin, precisely fitted appliance that sits over your upper or lower teeth and absorbs force that would otherwise land directly on enamel, fillings, crowns, or the jaw joints. We make two main kinds at our Ocala office: night guards for grinding and clenching, and sports guards for athletes. Both start with the same idea — put something tough between your teeth and the forces working against them — but they're built differently because the job is different.
A night guard is designed for the slow, repetitive pressure of bruxism, the clenching and grinding many people do while asleep without ever realizing it. That pressure can flatten chewing surfaces, chip enamel, loosen or fracture existing dental work, and contribute to jaw soreness, clicking, or morning headaches. A night guard creates a smooth, even surface for the teeth to meet, so the force spreads out instead of concentrating on one tooth. It's generally made of a firmer material because it has to resist hours of sustained clenching night after night.
A sports guard, by contrast, is built to handle sudden impact. It's typically thicker and more cushioning, shaped to stay comfortably in place while you breathe and talk, and intended for contact and collision activities — football, basketball, hockey, wrestling, martial arts, skateboarding, and more. Children and teens in Ocala-area leagues benefit just as much as adults in recreational play, and we see patients of all ages for this. If you participate in sports *and* grind at night, those are two separate appliances with two separate designs; one will not do both jobs well.
The most common question we hear is whether a drugstore boil-and-bite guard is good enough. A stock guard can be bulky, can loosen as you wear it, and may not cover the teeth evenly — which sometimes means it gets pushed out at night or spit out mid-game. A custom guard is made from impressions or scans of your own teeth, so it fits snugly over your specific bite. Because we have an on-site dental lab, fabrication stays in-house rather than being shipped out, and our team can adjust or refine the fit directly.
Before we make a guard, we look at the whole picture. We check for wear facets, cracked or chipped teeth, existing crowns or fillings under stress, and the condition of your gums. If grinding has already caused damage, that may need to be addressed first with a filling, crown, or other restorative care. We also evaluate the jaw joints and muscles. Our office treats TMJ/TMD concerns, jaw clicking, locking, limited movement, and jaw-related headaches, so if your symptoms point to a joint or muscle problem rather than tooth wear alone, we'll talk through that with you instead of handing you an appliance and sending you on your way. Orthodontic patients should know that a guard is not a retainer, and retainers are not built to take grinding forces.
Living With Your Guard, And Making It Last
A new guard feels noticeable for the first several nights. Most people adjust within a week or two as the muscles get used to the new resting position. If it feels high on one side, presses on a specific tooth, or makes your bite feel off in the morning, let us know — small adjustments are normal and quick.
Care is simple and makes a real difference in how long it lasts:
- Rinse it right after you take it out, then brush it gently with a soft toothbrush and cool water
- Let it dry fully before storing it in a ventilated case, away from pets and hot surfaces
- Keep it out of hot water, the dishwasher, and a car dashboard, since heat warps the material
- Bring it to your checkups so we can inspect the fit and check for thinning or cracks
Results come from consistency. A guard worn most nights protects far better than one that stays in the drawer, and a sports guard only works if it's in your mouth every practice and every game. Expect replacement over time — guards wear down, and growing children need new ones as their teeth change.
Scheduling, Insurance, And Payment
We accept all major PPO insurance plans and welcome self-pay and cash patients, and flexible payment plans are available if you'd like to spread the cost out. Our team will review your coverage and go over what to expect before we begin.
Ocala Dental Care has served Ocala and nearby communities including Belleview, Silver Springs, Summerfield, Dunnellon, The Villages, and Lady Lake for over 30 years, with Dr. Hussein Salifu and Dr. Marco Geris caring for patients of all ages. If you're grinding, playing, or just tired of waking up sore, call us and we'll get you fitted.
The process
What to expect
- 1
Exam And Discussion
We check your teeth, bite, and jaw, then talk through whether a night guard, a sports guard, or both make sense for you.
- 2
Impressions And Fitting
We take precise impressions and have your custom guard made, then fit and adjust it for comfort.
- 3
Follow-Up And Care
We show you how to clean and store your guard, and check its fit at your regular visits.