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Night Guards and Sports Guards in Ottawa
Watersedge Dental Laboratory uses the latest technology to produce high-quality, custom-fit night guards and sports guards for dentists in Ottawa and throughout North America.
Only properly designed mouth guards with a precise fit can effectively protect teeth, alleviate painful symptoms and significantly improve a patient’s well-being. Watersedge lab partners with you to equip your patients with the most dependable and durable night guards and sports guards available.
We know that your reputation depends on the quality of care you deliver and the quality of the dental appliances you provide. As an extension of your practice, we work closely with you to make critical material and design choices that lead to positive treatment outcomes for your patients.
Night Guard Services in Ottawa
Our custom night guard solutions provide patients with much-needed relief from jaw pain, headaches, tooth sensitivity, sleep disturbances, and other issues caused by clenching, bruxism and temporomandibular disorder (TMD).
The barrier created by professionally fitted dental guards protects teeth, enamel and restorations—such as veneers, crowns and bridges—from chipping and fractures. In addition, bruxism appliances offer nighttime peace to a patient’s partner by eliminating the noise caused by heavy teeth grinding.
As a full-service night guard dental lab, Watersedge fabricates a variety of splints in a myriad of materials, including:
Soft Night Guards
An ideal solution for clenchers, soft night guards fit comfortably over the undercuts on both the front and back teeth thanks to a thermaflex (also known as thermoflex) material. When placed under hot tap water for 30-40 seconds, these guards soften slightly to ensure a perfect fit while maintaining a memory of their shape.
Hard Night Guards
Due to their rigidity and durability, hard night guards suit patients prone to severe teeth grinding. Hard splints are the original night guard design and are entirely fabricated using hard clear acrylic material. To form an engagement system, we integrate two small ball wire clasps (similar to the clasps utilized for a partial denture) into the night guard.
Hybrid Night Guards
The hybrid option is a Talon-style night guard that combines the best of two worlds. First, we use the soft thermal material to fit over your patient’s teeth, and then add a second layer of clear, hard acrylic onto the surface. The resulting “dual laminate” hybrid night guard resists the wear and tear caused by moderate to heavy grinding and clenching.
Specialty Night Guards
KOIS-style and other anterior-deprogramming devices address severe bite misalignment cases. These specialty splints can be used as either a diagnostic device or an orthotic appliance and often provide a tremendous amount of relief for patients suffering from a severely adapted bite or TMD.
Our laboratory has embraced digital dentistry and integrated it into our night guard fabrication process. As a result, approximately 75% of our splints are now designed in virtual reality by our full-time CAD design team, and we utilize digital scanners as well as advanced 3D Carbon brand printers to produce highly precise appliances. Still, our technicians hand manipulate each night guard to acquire the desired fit and polish.
Sports Guard Services in Ottawa
Watersedge Dental Laboratory makes professional-grade ProForm™ sports guards for athletes, young and old. These dental guards are mandated for hockey, football, wrestling and lacrosse and are highly recommended for many other sports.
Our mouth guards are pressure formed to perfectly conform to your patient’s gums and teeth. The result is a supremely comfortable appliance that provides robust shock absorption and protection without interfering with breathing, speech or swallowing.
Watersedge Sports Guard Fabrication Process:
- Our technicians create a dental model of your patient’s teeth using a digital scan or mould of the upper teeth.
- A medical-grade ProForm™ laminate sheet is heated and placed over the model.
- A specialized pressure machine is used to press the laminate onto the surface of the model and produce a perfect custom fit.
- The sports guard is trimmed and polished by hand to ensure a completely smooth finish.
We stock 30+ colours on-site and often produce sets of matching sports guards for entire athletic teams. Additionally, the option exists to add a helmet strap to our lab-fabricated mouth guards, guaranteeing the device never ends up on the ground or the ice.
Watersedge Dental Lab is proud to be the official producer of sports guards for the Ottawa 67s and Ottawa RedBlacks. For high-volume orders, we work with the manufacturer to create custom designs that include corporate or team logos.
Note: Our mouth guards are extremely durable. However, we recommend that patients replace their sports guards regularly. If the appliance is used often, adults should replace a mouth guard yearly. Kids need replacements more often because they tend to chew on (damage) their sports guards, and a child’s dentition is continually changing.
Mouth Guard Care Tips
A daily oral health routine should include the proper cleaning of all dental devices.
To help patients extend the lifespan of their investment, Watersedge includes a care guide with every night guard and sports guard we produce.
Care Tips For Night Guards And Sports Guards:
- Brush and floss teeth before using any oral appliance.
- Clean device after each use.
- Brush gently with a soft toothbrush.
- Use a gentle cleanser. (Avoid any abrasive or whitening toothpaste.)
- Use only room temperature or cool water.
- Thoroughly dry before storing.
- Clean storage container periodically.
- Soak weekly (if required).
- Do not expose mouth guards to extreme heat.
- Always keep night guards and sports guards away from pets.
Note: We receive many requests for replacements due to “act of dog!”
Night Guard Guidelines for Use and Care
Sports Guard Guidelines for Use and Care
Night Guard and Sports Guard Consultations
Watersedge employs a team of experts and specialists who readily offer guidance to clinicians. Whether you wish to discuss material and design options, or the complexities of a particular case, our team can address your questions and provide advice.
In addition, we are happy to speak directly with patients upon your request.
Health Canada Approved Mouth Guard Materials
We use only clinically-tested bisphenol-A (BPA) free materials to produce each high quality night guard and sports guard. Our mouth guards are also entirely latex-free.
Should you or your clientele have any concerns regarding the materials used to create our dental appliances, the technical team at Watersedge is available to answer any questions.
Note: If necessary, we can source alternate materials for patients with allergic sensitivities.
Request a Night or Sports Guard from Our Ottawa Lab
Obtaining a night guard or sports guard from Watersedge Dental Lab is a straightforward process. We accept both analog and digital cases (without imposing a premium for digital files).
Follow this chart to determine what information to provide with your request:
Prescription | Upper teeth Impression or Digital Scan | Lower teeth Impression or Digital Scan | Specialty Bite Registration | Scan of Existing Appliance | |
Night Guard | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | (if possible) | |
Specialty Splint | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | (if possible) |
Sports Guard | ✔ | ✔ | (if possible) |
Night guards and sports guards are returned to Ottawa area dentists within one week or less.
With the ability to accept digital files, Watersedge Dental Lab produces night guards and sports guards for clinicians across North America. Please allow extra time for shipping if your dental office is located outside the Ottawa area.
Note: If required, Watersedge can digitally scan an existing night guard. Under certain circumstances, it is possible arrange same day pick-up and return of an appliance to limit or avoid any patient discomfort. (This arrangement applies to our local Ottawa dentistry partners only.)
Partnership and Collaboration With Ottawa Dentists
Developing long-standing relationships with our dentistry partners is at the core of everything we do, and we are always available to provide technical and diagnostic guidance. Don’t hesitate to contact us; our skilled team is ready to answer your questions free of charge.
A Trusted Resource for Night Guards and Sports Guards in the Ottawa Area
Watersedge lab produces hundreds of top-quality night guards and sports guards for dental clinics each week.
We are able to do this due to the tremendous investments we’ve made in our fabrication processes. This extends beyond the advanced technology and digital systems we’ve brought in-house; it is also directly tied to the abilities of our skilled personnel. Our professional dental lab has five full-time individuals, including a CAD designer, solely focused on nightguard and sports guard workflow. This team sustains the high level of quality Ottawa area dentists have come to expect from Watersedge Dental Lab.
The lifespan of a night guard is typically 18 months, depending on wear and tear, but can be much longer when properly maintained. (Note: Night guard replacement requests due to “act of dog” are very common!)
Should a night guard fail unexpectedly, Watersedge works with our dental partners to address the issue and ensure the patient’s needs are met quickly. Upon joint review of the case, we’ll help to update the prescription and produce a new guard with material or design changes.
Yes, Watersedge Dental Laboratory can reproduce an existing night guard that was fabricated at another lab. We can also integrate reinforcements into a replica but cannot fix a cracked or otherwise broken night guard.
Some clients may ask about “boil-and-bite” night guards or mail-in programs that offer a “free impression kit” to create moulds at home. Unfortunately, none of these options can create a precise or truly custom fit, thus increasing the chance that the splint will cause discomfort or exacerbate an existing condition. Worse, it could initiate a painful disorder, such as TMD. Watersedge Dental Laboratory is happy to speak with you or your clients to answer any questions.
Yes, Watersedge Dental can source special materials to produce night guards and sports guards for clients with allergic sensitivities.
Why Choose Watersedge as Your Night Guard and Sports Guard Lab?
Watersedge lab works hard to exceed your expectations. With an unwavering commitment to quality, we fabricate highly accurate dental appliances, including specialty splints, that are perfectly suited to each patient’s unique dental needs.
We’re also well known for outstanding customer service and trusted turnaround times. To maintain such high standards, we require that each case follow stringent production and quality assurance protocols.
Comprehensive Support and Service
At Watersedge, we’ve designed our processes around the needs of dental practitioners.
First and foremost, we aim to preserve your valuable chairside time. To eliminate the dreaded phone tag game, we’ve narrowed down your point of contact to four Quality Assurance associates. These highly accessible and responsive members of the Watersedge team have access to each case we manage.
And we’re prepared to adapt to your client’s needs. For example, if a particular night guard or sports guard doesn’t work for a patient, we’ll find a way to make it right—without charging exorbitant replacement fees.
Ask a fellow dentist! We’re confident your colleagues will share positive experiences of working with Watersedge.
