If you wake up with a tight jaw, worn or sensitive teeth, or a sleep partner who hears you grinding, a custom nightguard can quietly help protect your smile while you sleep. At Kentfield Dental, we do something many Marin offices can't: we scan, design, and fabricate your guard in-house in Kentfield — so many patients leave with a finished, custom-fit nightguard the same day instead of waiting two to three weeks on an outside lab.
What is a same-day nightguard?
A nightguard (also called an occlusal guard or bite splint) is a custom-fit appliance you wear while you sleep. It places a thin, smooth layer of durable material between your upper and lower teeth so the forces of grinding (bruxism) and clenching land on the guard instead of your enamel, fillings, crowns, and veneers. A well-made guard can also help relax the jaw muscles and ease the morning soreness, headaches, and tooth sensitivity that clenching often brings.
"Same-day" refers to how it's made. Traditionally, the dentist takes a putty impression of your teeth and mails it to an off-site lab, and you wait two to three weeks for the finished guard. At Kentfield Dental, we capture a precise digital scan of your bite and design and fabricate the guard on-site — so for many patients the entire process happens in a single visit, with a fit built from your exact bite rather than a one-size mold.
How we make nightguards same-day in Kentfield
Dr. Soroush Ghaffarpour ("Dr. G") built Kentfield Dental around a simple idea: the things most offices send out, we do in-house. Continuing the 47-year legacy of founding dentist Dr. John Herschleb, Dr. G takes a conservative, aesthetics-first, comfort-focused approach — and that includes how your nightguard is made. Instead of an outside lab, we use a digital workflow start to finish: a 3Shape intraoral scanner captures your teeth and bite in minutes, the guard is designed to your exact occlusion, and our in-house Formlabs 3D printer produces it on-site, often the same day. The result is a guard built to fit only your mouth — and you skip the trays of impression putty and the weeks of waiting.
- Digital intraoral scanning (3Shape) — a fast, accurate scan instead of messy impression putty
- In-house Formlabs 3D printing — your guard is fabricated on-site, often the same visit
- Custom-designed to your exact bite for even contact and a comfortable, secure fit
- An in-house digital lab and CEREC same-day technology mean restorations and guards are made under one roof in Kentfield
- Designed to help protect natural teeth and any crowns, veneers, or implant work you've invested in
- Spanish-speaking care and a calm, boutique setting for anxious and busy Marin patients
Why patients choose us for this
Often finished in one visit
Because we scan, design, and print in our Kentfield office, many patients receive a finished, custom-fit nightguard the same day — no two-to-three-week wait on an outside lab.
No goopy impressions
A quick digital scan replaces the tray of impression putty — more comfortable, highly precise, and easier on patients with a sensitive gag reflex.
Helps protect your teeth and dental work
A guard is designed to absorb the forces of grinding and clenching so they don't wear down enamel or crack fillings, crowns, and veneers — helping protect the work you've invested in.
Can ease jaw soreness and headaches
By cushioning your bite and helping relax overworked jaw muscles, a custom guard can reduce the morning jaw tension, tooth sensitivity, and headaches many clenchers wake up with.
A fit made only for you
Your guard is designed to your exact occlusion, so it's made to seat securely and comfortably — many patients find a custom guard easier to wear than a bulky over-the-counter version.
Easy to replace and refine
Your digital scan stays on file, so if your guard wears out or you'd like an adjustment, we can refine or remake it quickly without starting from scratch.
What to expect
Exam & digital scan
Dr. G checks your teeth, bite, and jaw for signs of grinding or clenching, then we capture a quick, precise digital scan of your mouth — no impression putty required.
Custom design
Using your scan, we design the guard to your exact occlusion, choosing the thickness and coverage meant to protect your teeth and feel comfortable to wear.
In-house fabrication
Your guard is 3D-printed on our in-house Formlabs printer, then finished and polished on-site — for many patients, all within the same visit.
Fit check & guidance
We seat the guard, fine-tune the fit so your bite feels even and secure, and show you how to wear, clean, and store it so it lasts.
Your comfort matters. The entire process is designed for comfort: a quick digital scan replaces the tray of impression putty (easier for patients with a sensitive gag reflex), and our calm, boutique setting and Spanish-speaking care help anxious Marin patients feel at ease.
Is a nightguard right for you?
Many people grind or clench at night without realizing it — often it's a partner's complaint, or signs we spot during an exam like flattened or chipped tooth edges, that first reveal it. If any of the signs below sound familiar, a custom nightguard may be a simple, conservative way to help protect your teeth and ease the strain. Dr. G will examine your bite, jaw, and any existing dental work to confirm whether a guard is the right fit and recommend the design that suits you.
- You grind or clench your teeth at night (bruxism), or a partner has noticed it
- You wake up with jaw soreness, tension headaches, or sensitive teeth
- Your teeth look worn, flattened, or chipped along the edges
- You've invested in crowns, veneers, or implants and want to help protect them
- You experience jaw clicking, tightness, or TMJ-related discomfort
- Your store-bought guard is bulky, ill-fitting, or doesn't stay in place
Frequently asked questions
Yes — at Kentfield Dental we design and 3D-print custom nightguards in-house, so many patients receive a finished guard the same day. Most offices send the work to an outside lab, which typically takes two to three weeks.
Cost depends on the design and your specific needs, so we'll give you an exact figure after Dr. G examines your bite. Kentfield Dental is a fee-for-service practice, and we're happy to review costs and any out-of-network insurance benefits with you before you decide.
A custom guard is designed to your exact bite, so it's made to fit more securely and feel less bulky than a boil-and-bite version. Over-the-counter guards are one-size and can shift, wear out quickly, or even alter your bite over time.
With good care, many nightguards last several years, though the lifespan depends on how heavily you grind. Because your digital scan stays on file, we can quickly remake or adjust your guard whenever it's needed.
A custom nightguard can help many people by cushioning the bite and helping relax overworked jaw muscles, which often eases morning soreness and tension headaches. Jaw pain can have several causes, so Dr. G will evaluate your situation and recommend the right approach for you.
Common signs include waking with a sore or tight jaw, headaches, sensitive teeth, or a partner who hears grinding. Worn, flattened, or chipped tooth edges are clues too — we often spot them during a routine exam at our Kentfield office.
No traditional putty impressions — we use a fast, comfortable digital scanner to capture your teeth and bite at our Kentfield office. It's accurate and far easier for patients with a sensitive gag reflex.