SportingSmiles Custom Night Guard Review (2023)

What is SportingSmiles?

SportingSmiles is a brand of mouthguards and orthodontic retainers. As the name suggests, their specialty is products for athletes. However, the brand offers other products as well.

In addition to custom mouthguards for boxing, football, wrestling, and other sports, SportingSmiles offers custom night guards for bruxism.

Using CAD/CAM technology, SportingSmiles designs and manufactures its products after you order them. Then the product is shipped to your home.

How Much Does SportingSmiles Cost?

SportingSmiles offers six different types of night guards with varying flexibility, thickness, and comfort. They range in price from $90 to $105:

• Flexible Super Hard — The best-selling and most durable option, $100
• Flexible Hard Back Cut — Designed for more comfort and to be less noticeable, $105
• Soft Grinding Guard — Made for maximum comfort, $90
• Dual Laminate Guard — Dual-layered for heavy grinding, $95
• Dual Laminate Back Cut — Dual-layered with emphasis on the back teeth, $100
• Hard Grinding Guard — Very thin and made for wear during the day, $90

Discuss these options with your dentist to determine which one best suits your needs. If you’re in doubt, the best-selling Flexible Super Hard option may be your best bet.

Does Insurance Cover SportingSmiles?

If you have dental insurance, it may offer coverage for a night guard. However, this will depend on:

• Your specific insurance policy (many policies will cover 50% of the cost)
• Whether your dentist considers a night guard medically necessary for you

To know for sure, check with your insurance provider. You’ll also want to talk with your dentist before purchasing a night guard.

Can I Use an FSA or HSA?

Yes. SportingSmiles accepts all FSA (flexible spending account) debit cards. However, you’ll have to check with your employer or FSA/HSA account manager to know what’s eligible.

SportingSmiles Night Guard: How it Works 

To get your SportingSmiles night guard, you’ll start by ordering an impression kit. It comes with impression trays, putty, written and video instructions, and a return shipping label.

Following the instructions will ensure you make effective impressions of your teeth. These impressions will serve as a mold for the night guard. Once you finish making them, you’ll return them to SportingSmiles.

Using your unique impressions, SportingSmiles will fabricate your night guard. Once your night guard is made, the company will ship it to you, allowing for immediate use. 

According to SportingSmiles, making your night guard will take about 10 to 15 business days from the time they receive your impressions. From ordering your kit to receiving your finished night guard, you can expect to wait about 2 to 4 weeks.

Pros and Cons of SportingSmiles Night Guards

Like any of their competitors, SportingSmiles products come with advantages and potential drawbacks. The most obvious advantage compared to other brands is their price, which comes in at the low end for custom night guards.

What are Customers Saying?

We looked at customer reviews of SportingSmiles night guards to learn what their compliments, complaints, and concerns were. Here are some of the main pros:

• Competitive pricing — Customers noted that SportingSmiles has some of the most affordable prices for custom night guards. 
• Easy ordering — The ordering process was easy and efficient, and customers’ dental impressions were saved on file for faster reordering. 
• Overall quality — Many customers mentioned the night guards had a good fit, were made of durable material, and were discreet in appearance. 

On the other hand, the following were the most common issues customers mentioned:

• Long shipping times — While the company lists a turnaround time of 10 to 15 business days, some customers had to wait several weeks or months for their mouthguards to arrive. 
• Quality of material — While many reviewers were happy with the quality of their mouthguards, some complained that they became fragile or broke shortly after beginning to use them. 
• Difficulty taking impressions — A few customers said they experienced difficulties using the impression kit. Some customers had their impressions rejected and had to pay more for additional putty. 

SportingSmiles vs. Other Brands

Here’s a look at how SportingSmiles compares with other night guard brands:

All of these brands provide custom night guards, and most of their processing times are between 2 and 3 weeks.

However, Pro Teeth Guard lists a processing time of 1 to 2 weeks, while JS Dental Lab offers 7 to 10 days. This may give them an advantage when it comes to getting your night guard as fast as possible. But SportingSmiles still stands out as the most affordable option.

Is SportingSmiles Worth the Cost? 

SportingSmiles is one of the more affordable brands on the custom night guard market.

An even less expensive option would be a premade or boil-and-bite mouthguard from a local drugstore. However, these won’t fit your teeth as well as a custom guard made from your own impressions.

With these things in mind, SportingSmile may be worth the cost, assuming that you and your dentist have determined that you need a night guard for bruxism.

What is Bruxism? How Do Night Guards Help?

Bruxism refers to a habit of excessive teeth grinding or jaw clenching. You may experience bruxism during the day, at night, or both. It can be caused by jaw misalignment, stress or anxiety, or intense focus.

Bruxism can cause recurring headaches, jaw pain, or tooth pain. Over time, it can also wear down your tooth enamel or other dental problems. Some people don’t notice any symptoms.

Night guards are mouthguards worn while you sleep. They can protect your teeth from bruxism throughout the night. While they won’t address the underlying causes of bruxism, they can help relieve some symptoms, such as tooth damage.

Summary

SportingSmiles is a brand of custom sports mouthguards, retainers, and night guards for bruxism. They offer a competitive price compared to other night guard brands.

However, some customers have expressed concerns about the quality of the night guards, long processing times, and difficulty using the impression kit.

Talk to your dentist about whether you need a night guard and how to determine what type or brand is best for you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)