Night guards in Winterville, NC

Custom Protection for Teeth Grinding and More Comfortable Mornings

Protect teeth from the pressure of nightly grinding

Wake with less jaw tension after a custom fit

Keep your smile safeguarded through your bedtime routine

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What Is a Custom Night Guard?

A night guard is a slim, custom cover that fits over your upper or lower teeth while you sleep. Many people clench or grind at night without knowing it, and that steady pressure wears down enamel, chips fillings, and leaves jaw muscles tired by morning. The guard absorbs that force instead of your teeth, keeping the upper and lower teeth from pressing directly together.

Every night guard we make at Beacon Dental begins with a digital scan instead of clay impression material, so the fit is accurate and the visit stays comfortable. That scan guides how we design and shape night guards in Winterville, built around your bite rather than a standard mold.

Worn only during sleep, not daytime hours

Custom guards are made from digital bite scans

Replacement typically needed every few years with use

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Benefits of Custom Night Guards

Small changes to your nights add up over years. Before deciding on a night guard, it helps to see what shifts once the nightly pressure on your teeth finally has somewhere else to go.

Wake up without jaw soreness

Chew comfortably the next morning

Quieter nights for your partner

Peace of mind every night

Simple to clean and carry

Years less wear on your enamel

Is a Night Guard Right for You?

Most people ask whether they truly need a night guard or whether their grinding is normal. The honest answer is that a wide range of patients benefit, including plenty who have never noticed themselves clenching. Damage often shows up on the teeth before anyone feels a symptom.

Wake up with a tight jaw, sore teeth, or a dull headache

Have been told your teeth show flat or worn chewing surfaces

Notice a partner mentioning grinding sounds during the night

Want to protect crowns, fillings, or dental work already in place

Have tried a drugstore guard that never fit comfortably

Still Not Sure You Need One?

Plenty of patients arrive unsure whether grinding is worth treating. A short exam shows what your teeth are actually telling us, and whether a night guard would help or whether something else is going on.

What to Expect When Getting a Night Guard

Patients often walk in expecting a mouthful of impression putty, and they tell us afterward that the visit was faster and easier than they had assumed. Getting a night guard takes two short appointments, both built around your comfort.

Exam and Bite Check

We start by looking at your teeth for the flat spots, small chips, and worn edges that grinding leaves behind. Our intraoral camera puts those images on a screen so you can see exactly what we see, and we check how your upper and lower teeth meet when you bite. You leave this visit knowing whether a guard is the right call.

Digital Scan and Design

Instead of clay impression material, we use a digital scanner that glides over your teeth and builds a precise 3D model in minutes. Nothing sets in your mouth and there is nothing to gag on. That model becomes the blueprint for a guard shaped to your bite, with thickness and coverage matched to how hard you grind.

Fitting and Follow-Up

At your second visit, we seat the finished guard and check it against your bite, smoothing any spot that feels high or tight until it settles in comfortably. We show you how to clean it and where to store it so it lasts. Most patients adjust within a few nights, and we are here if anything needs adjusting.

Ready for Mornings Without a Sore Jaw?

Flexible Payment Plans for Your Smile

We believe everyone deserves quality dental care, regardless of budget. Our in-house membership plan and flexible financing options help you get the treatment you need, with comfortable monthly payments through our financing partners.

CareCredit, a trusted healthcare financing option, offers convenient payment plans to fit your budget. Invest in your oral health with confidence.

Bite-sized payments, big smiles! Cherry Payment Plans offer easy-to-use financing options to make your dental care more accessible.

Sunbit technology approves the majority of applicants for dental financing from $50 to $20,000 with flexible pay-over-time options.

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Night Guard FAQs

Questions about comfort, cleaning, and whether a guard is truly necessary come up at nearly every fitting. Here are the answers we give most often. If yours is not on the list, call us and one of us will talk it through with you.

How do I know if I grind my teeth at night?

Most grinding happens during deep sleep, so the evidence turns up elsewhere. Flattened chewing surfaces, tiny chips along the edges, tooth sensitivity, and a jaw that feels tired in the morning all point to it. A partner hearing the sound is another common clue.

Is a store-bought guard good enough?

Boil-and-bite guards from the drugstore cost less and work for some people in the short term. They tend to be bulky, loosen as they soften, and cover the teeth unevenly, which can shift how your bite lands. A custom guard fits one mouth only: yours.

Will it be uncomfortable to sleep in?

The first few nights feel unfamiliar, the way a new retainer does. Because the guard is built from a scan of your own teeth, it sits close and slim rather than filling your mouth. Most patients stop noticing it inside a week.

How long does a night guard last?

Two to five years is typical, though heavy grinders wear through them faster. We check yours at your regular visits and watch for thinning, cracks, or a fit that has loosened. Replacing a guard is far simpler than repairing the teeth underneath it.

How do I clean it?

Rinse it in cool water each morning, brush it gently with a soft toothbrush, and let it dry fully before it goes back in the case. Skip hot water and the dishwasher, since heat warps the material. Soaking tablets made for guards help weekly.

Can I wear one if I have crowns or fillings?

Yes, and that is one of the better reasons to wear one. Grinding puts real force on crowns, fillings, and bonded repairs, and that force is what loosens or fractures them early. The guard takes the hit so your existing dental work does not.

Does a guard stop the grinding itself?

Not exactly. Clenching is usually tied to stress, sleep patterns, or breathing issues, and a guard does not change those underlying causes. What it does is redirect the force away from your enamel and jaw muscles, which is why morning soreness often eases within weeks.

Is a night guard the same as a sports mouthguard?

They share a name and little else. Sports guards are thicker and softer, made to absorb sudden impact during activity. Night guards handle hours of steady, repeated pressure, so they are thinner, firmer, and shaped for a much closer fit while you sleep.

What if my jaw clicks or aches during the day?

Tell us about it, because daytime jaw soreness and clicking sometimes travel with nighttime grinding and sometimes point somewhere else entirely. We look at how your teeth meet, how the joint moves, and what the wear pattern shows. That shapes whether a guard is part of the answer.

Do I need a guard if only one or two teeth look worn?

Early wear is exactly when a guard earns its keep. Enamel does not grow back, so protecting what is there beats rebuilding it later with crowns or bonding. Catching the pattern early usually means fewer repairs and a simpler plan down the road.

Still Have Questions?

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Meet Your Doctor

A Gentle Approach to Every Smile and Visit

Dr. Kaitlyn Spencer leads our practice with a warm, family-focused approach to care. We take time to answer your questions, understand your goals, and create a treatment plan that feels right for you and your family.

Dr. Kaitlyn Spencer

DMD

Dr. Kaitlyn, our practice owner and dentist, brings compassionate, family-focused care to every patient she sees. A proud Ayden, NC native, she graduated from D.H. Conley High School before completing her undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earning her dental degree from East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine. She’s an active member of the North Carolina Dental Society and the East Central Dental Society.

Since joining our Winterville practice in July 2019, Dr. Spencer has loved building lasting relationships with patients across our community. Outside the office, she cheers on the Tar Heels and Braves with her husband, Trevor, their two children, and their dog, Chipper.

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Smiles Restored

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What Patients Share

Stories of Compassionate Care and Confident Smiles

Patients share how welcoming care and thoughtful communication shape their experience with us. By focusing on your comfort, we help create visits that feel supportive from beginning to end.

My appointment was scheduled with a dental assistant to clean my teeth today. I was pleasantly surprised to get a call from their office saying I could come in earlier, if I could get there at 11:10 AM. Of course, I wanted to go ahead and be back home early.It’s great to be welcomed at Beacon Dental at all my visits for several years now. Is anyone looking for a great dentist and staff? I would choose Doctor Spencer at Beacon Dental, Winterville NC.

Pam

3 weeks ago

I had my dental check up and cleaning this morning with Kayla and Dr. Spencer. Always a pleasant experience which in previous years with other practices thought I would never say. All the staff are very pleasant and will answer any question you might have. I would highly recommend Beacon for your dental needs.

Elaine Pittman

3 weeks ago

The whole staff is awesome at Beacon starting with the front desk, to the dental assistants, to the dentist, Kaitlyn! Thank you!

Jennifer Alexander

3 weeks ago

I love the staff customer service plus. My dentist is do gentle and empathetic.

Sandra Spruill

3 weeks ago

Very professional and respectful of my time. Best cleaning services and dental care.

My New Youth

3 weeks ago

Dr Kaitlin Spencer and her assistant Dallas are so professional and friendly. They set me at ease before a procedure and told me what to expect prior to, during and after. They made me as comfortable during the process as possible. Honestly it is the best dental practice I’ve experienced in over 70 years.

Kathleen Hale

3 weeks ago

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Our Location

Your Neighborhood Dental Home in Winterville

Conveniently located in the heart of Winterville, our office welcomes families from Greenville and surrounding East Carolina communities. You’ll find easy access, a warm team, and comprehensive care that makes every visit feel close to home.

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Restful Nights, Protected Smiles

A More Protected Smile Begins with Your Nighttime Routine

Custom fit for nighttime comfort

Protection during teeth grinding at night

A made-for-you guard for sleep

Night guards in Winterville, NC

Custom Protection for Teeth Grinding and More Comfortable Mornings

What Is a Custom Night Guard?

Transformations That Last

Benefits of Custom Night Guards

Is a Night Guard Right for You?