Function & sleep
Custom night splints, fitted to your bite.
Hard or soft occlusal splints to protect your teeth from grinding wear, ease TMJ-related muscle pain, and stabilise your bite during sleep. Full lifecycle in-house — fabrication, adjustments and repairs.
What a night splint is
An occlusal splint (often called a night guard or bite splint) is a custom-made plastic device that fits over your upper or lower teeth at night. Its job is one or more of:
- Protect your teeth from the wear and fracture caused by nighttime grinding or clenching (bruxism)
- Ease jaw-muscle pain by reducing the load the muscles put on the joint when you clench at night
- Help manage TMJ-related symptoms in conjunction with other TMJ care — pain, clicking, morning jaw stiffness
- Stabilise your bite in patients undergoing restorative work where the bite needs settling
A splint is a management tool — it reduces the consequences of grinding and clenching, rather than stopping you from doing them. For most patients that's enough: further tooth wear stops, symptoms ease, and the teeth and joint stay protected long-term.
Hard vs soft — which suits your case
| Hard splint | Soft splint | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Rigid acrylic | Flexible thermoplastic |
| Best for | Heavy clenchers, established bruxism, TMJ cases needing precise bite control | Lighter grinding, first-time splint users |
| Comfort | Firmer feel initially; most patients adjust within 2–3 weeks | Softer feel from day one; easier first-night experience |
| Lifespan | 5–10+ years with proper care | 2–4 years (wears faster on chewing surfaces) |
| Bite precision | High — we can adjust the surface exactly | Lower — flexes with each clench |
For most TMJ and heavy-bruxism cases we recommend a hard splint. For lighter grinding or patients who haven't worn a splint before, a soft splint is often easier to tolerate as a starting point. We'll talk through which suits your case at consultation.
What to expect
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Visit 1
Consultation, scan and design choice. We examine your teeth, bite and any wear patterns, take a 3D digital scan with our 3Shape TRIOS, and discuss hard vs soft. Visit time: 20–30 minutes.
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Lab time
2 weeks at the lab. The splint is fabricated to your exact bite. No need to be in clinic during this period.
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Visit 2
Fit. We try the finished splint in, check the fit and bite contact, and adjust any high spots. You go home with care instructions and an expectation-setting conversation about the first few nights.
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Review
Review at 4–6 weeks. We check how you're getting on, fine-tune the bite contact if needed (common — small adjustments often make a big comfort difference), and look at how the splint is wearing.
Common questions
Will it stop my grinding?
A splint doesn't stop the grinding action itself — that's a habit-and-physiology issue with many drivers (stress, sleep position, airway, dental factors). What it does is protect the teeth from the consequences. The wear stops. The fracture risk drops. The muscle pain eases. For most patients that's the right outcome — addressing the root cause of bruxism is separately a medical/dental investigation we can support, but the splint is the protection meanwhile.
Will my jaw feel different when I wake up?
For the first 2–3 weeks, yes — most patients describe the jaw feeling "different" rather than "uncomfortable". The muscles are working against a new bite contact and adjusting. By week 3 most patients sleep through and forget they're wearing it. If you have ongoing muscle pain after the initial adjustment period, come back — the splint may need bite fine-tuning.
How long does a splint last?
A hard splint typically lasts 5–10 years or more with proper care. A soft splint typically lasts 2–4 years — they wear faster on the chewing surfaces. Lifespan depends on how heavily you grind, your bite, and how well you store and clean it. We check splint condition at every check-up and let you know when replacement is on the horizon.
How do I clean it?
Rinse in cold water after each use, brush gently with a soft toothbrush (use toothpaste if you prefer, water alone is also fine), and store in the ventilated case. Soak in a denture cleaner solution once a week to keep it fresh. Don't use hot water, mouthwash, or boiling sterilisation — they warp the material and ruin the fit.
Do I have to wear it every night?
For active bruxism and TMJ-management cases, yes — nightly use is what delivers the protection. If you skip nights, the wear and symptoms come back. For tooth-wear maintenance after long-term grinding has stopped, we sometimes drop to a few nights a week — we'll discuss this at review visits.
Can I repair a splint that's broken?
Often, yes — we offer in-house adjustment, repair and addition for existing splints (including splints made elsewhere). A small crack or worn area can usually be repaired during a single visit. We assess at consultation whether repair is sensible or whether the splint has reached the end of its useful life and replacement is the better call.
Will my health fund cover it?
Most extras policies rebate part of a splint under major dental or splint-specific cover. The portion covered depends on your fund and level of cover. We claim through HICAPS at the chair so you only pay the gap. Splint adjustments and repairs typically rebate separately under maintenance items. See Payment options.
Cost & funding
HICAPS on the spot. Most extras policies rebate part of an occlusal splint. We claim at the chair — you only pay the gap. Splint adjustments and repairs typically have their own rebate items. Full detail on Payment options.
Related services
Grinding wearing your teeth down?
Start with a consultation — scan, bite check, honest conversation about hard vs soft. Book online or call to chat first.