the Price of a Mouth Guard

This price was for the creation of a bruxism guard, to protect teeth from nighttime grinding. The price listed was out of pocket expense, without any dental plan coverage or reimbursement.

The service included a first visit to take moldings of my teeth, for the creation of bruxism guard, and then a second dental visit to fit the guard, with any adjustments and extra grinding / smoothing necessary. A protective case for the bruxism guard was also included. Between first castings of teeth to fitting of the guard was about two and a half weeks. Time in the chair to make the molds was about forty five minutes. Fitting of the finished guard took about half an hour, but may be less time if the initial fitting goes perfectly. Price is about the same regardless of time spent in the dental chair.

If you are having a bruxsism / tooth guard made, a single upper guard is both cheaper and more comfortable than the double guards some dentists propose. More comfortable, because you have fewer things in your mouth at night. Cheaper, because you're only having one guard made instead of two. Upper guards are a little easier to have fitted, since there is no issue having to work around the tongue.

Ask if the dental guard is covered, even partially, by insurance. If you have a "low" dental option, it probably isn't. If you have a high dental option, it may be covered up to 50%.

This is a dental expense, and thus counts as a medical expense. Any amount not covered by dental insurance can come from a Health Savings Account or medical flexible spending account.

If you combine the initial fitting of the mouth guard with a regular check up / cleaning, you may be able to save on the bill for the dentist's time, reducing the cost.