FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We take pride in building you the best mouthguards possible. We hope this section provides all the answers you need. If you still have a question for us, feel free to use our Online Chat or send us an email to info@guardlab.com
- APEX™ Guard: $29.95 each - $44.95 each with your own design. Semi-Custom Fit in 3 universal sizes (small, medium or large). Simply boil, bite and wear. Suitable for everyone and self-fit at home. Add unlimited designs to your APEX Guard and personalize it!
- APEXᵀᴹ Lite Guard: $24.95 each. Ultra-thin and intended for light contact or helmet sports. Semi-Custom Fit in 3 universal sizes (small, medium or large). Simply boil, bite and wear. Suitable for everyone and self-fit at home.
- PRO Guard: $99.95 each for a standard color or $129.95 with your own design. The PRO Guard is our best-selling custom-fit guard to protect your upper teeth, and the perfect upgrade from an APEX Guard. Measured by a 3D Scan (see Q2).
- ARCᵀᴹ Guard, Upper Protection: $149.95 each for a standard color or $179.95 with your own design (plus a 3D scan fee, see Q2) Measured to the Individual by a 3D Scan only. This neuromuscular guard protects your upper teeth and represents the highest level of protection and performance. It's favored by elite, collegiate, and professional athletes. Learn more about the science.
- ARCᵀᴹ Guard, Lower Performance: $149.95 each for a standard color or $179.95 with your own design (plus a 3D scan fee, see Q2) Measured to the Individual by a 3D Scan only. This neuromuscular guard assists with athletic performance via proper jaw alignment to help align, balance and support the muscles in your jaw, neck and head. This style is favored by athletes in MLB, NFL, NHRA, weightlifting, golf, and tennis. Learn more about the science.
- RECOVERY Guard: Hard/Soft $129.95 each or Soft $99.95 each. Allows you to get a better night's sleep while preventing costly damage from clenching and light grinding (bruxism). Recover quicker and perform better the next day. Measured by a 3D scan (see Q2).
A2. As of January 2024, Home Kits are being phased out and will no longer be available. Our customers are choosing 3D Scans instead, as the fitting is more precise and more pleasant. If you have a current model of your teeth at home, please contact us to check if it can be used for a custom mouthguard. We will digitize your impression for better storage and faster re-ordering in the future.
3D Scans are best provided by our Certified GuardLab Dentists. The dental scan fee is payable to the Dentist, at the time of your appointment. The cost will vary, depending on the Dentist's fee agreement, their location or if you choose to become a regular patient of the Dentist. If you are a walk-in patient, the average Scan Fee ranges from $50 or up to $150. Our network of partners is constantly growing, check out our current list of Dentists here.
3D Scans from a local Dentist are also accepted. Contact us for more info on transfering scans.
A3. Whenever possible, we always recommend a 3D scan if it’s available in your area. Why? Because nothing beats the impeccable comfort, ease and digital accuracy of a 3D scan. A dental professional uses a small camera, about the same size as a toothbrush, to create a digital impression that captures every ridge and curve of your teeth. Our customers are raving about the modern, quick process... and No More PUTTY!! That's right. No more putty.
Once your digital impression is on file, you won't need to repeat the fitting process, unless you undergo major changes or dental work to your teeth. Generally one fitting is all you need for a lifetime of custom mouthguards by GuardLab! One scan will last a very long time and we promise it will be the best fitting guard you have EVER worn.
A4. When choosing the right guard, you may be thinking about Fit, Protection or Cost. Here's a simple breakdown to help you choose the right guard! We recommend the APEX Guards for everyone or upgrade to a Custom Fit Guard with a Home Kit or a 3D scan if available in your city.
Products | Features | Price |
---|---|---|
APEX | All Sports, 3.5mm. The perfect guard for kids/youth or adult. It ships within 2 days so you don't need to wait. Suitable for sparring, football, lacrosse, rugby, hockey + more. | $29.95 - $34.95 |
APEX DIY (Design It Yourself) | All Sports, 3.5mm. The best new boil and bite on the market. APEX protection plus your very own, unlimited graphics. Your made-to-order guard will take 2-3 days for production. One-of-a-kind + delivered in less than a week, so skip going to the store! | $44.95 |
APEX Lite | Ultra-slim for Light Contact Sports, 2.5mm. Our newest best selling guard, the Lite offers essential protection without surrendering comfort. It's surprisingly soft, flexible and a precise fit. Popular with basketball, soccer, BJJ and helmet sports like hockey + lacrosse. | $24.95 |
PRO | Custom Fit to be tight on your teeth. Wear it for all Sports. Get measured by a 3D Scan or Home Impression Kit. Our best custom-fit selling guard - perfectly snug and engineered to make you look and feel like a PRO Athlete. | $99.95 plus Home Kit or 3D Scan |
PRO DIY (Design It Yourself) | Custom Fit uniquely to your teeth, with your own unlimited graphics. Get measured by a 3D Scan or Home Impression Kit. Made for all contact sports. Superior protection so you can look and feel like a PRO Athlete, with your own style! | $129.95 plus Home Kit or 3D Scan |
ARC Upper Protection | Custom Fit by a Trained Dental Professional. Add a precise, neuromuscular cushion around your molars to enhance your breathing, stability & balance while also, protecting your teeth. The discreet cushion is engineered to Align, Reposition and Cushion your jaw into its optimal position for performance, while creating space to lower TMJ tension and reduce the risk of injury. Popularly worn by NFL, NHL, NBA, Boxing, MMA, Olympians. | $149.95 plus 3D Scan |
ARC Lower Performance | Custom Fit by a Trained Dental Professional. This unique guard is worn on the lower teeth, adding precise neuromuscular cushions based on the individual's bite. Engineered to keep the airways open, increase stability in the head, neck and jaw muscles, and aligns the muscles for better balance and faster control. Gain true neuromuscular balance with ARCᵀᴹ Technology. Popularly worn by MLB, NFL, NHRA, weightlifting, golf, tennis + cardio. | $149.95 plus 3D Scan |
Recovery Sleep | Available in 2 materials: Soft or Hard/Soft. Designed for Light Bruxism wearers. Protect those pearly whites and wallet from costly damage caused by clenching and grinding your teeth. Measured by a 3D Scan or Home Impression Kit. | $99.95 plus Home Kit or 3D Scan |
A5. We have 3 different thicknesses available: Lite, Standard and Heavy. If you plan to use your guard for more than one sport, choose the primary sport that needs the most protection. You can only customize the thickness for PRO Guards and ARC Upper Guards. For example, we recommend: Level 1 LITE for basketball, BJJ, soccer and helmet sports. Level 2 Standard for rugby, lacrosse, and field hockey. It's a thin style guard. Level 3 Heavy guards should always be worn for sparring, boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA) and combat sports.
A6. We do our best to ship all products in a timely manner, however, we deeply care about quality and every guard is personalized to you, the individual. Whether you are junior hockey player, a weekend warrior or an insanely paid professional athlete - we treat every guard with the same care and attention and we offer 100% customer satisfaction.
That being said: we use First Class USPS Shipping which can take 2-5 days to arrive to most USA destinations. We recommend Priority or UPS Shipping if you need the guard sooner (and please bear in mind time for packing and manufacturing). Order early if you have a sporting event coming up, or email us to let us know when you need the guard!
When ordering an APEX or APEX LITE, we need 1-2 business days to pack/ship out those guards and then we ship with USPS First Class Mail.
If you have a custom DIY APEX Design, pls allow up 3-5 days for manufacturing, and then it will ship with USPS First Class Mail.
Once your 3D Scan is sent in by a Dentist, your Custom Guard will be ready in approximately 10-14 business days. A 3D scan only takes a few minutes and your overall appointment may take up to 30 minutes. Expedited shipping is available at checkout. If you have an urgent request, please give us a call as soon as possible and we will do our best to assist. We do offer a Rush Fee $50 for special circumstances.
International Shipping is available, pricing is calculated at checkout and does not include any import or additional country tax. If you item is not deliverable and returned to us, you will need purchase international shipping again.
A7. We recommend .png or .eps files, but .jpegs will work too. The higher the resolution the better. If you need any design assistance, you can "leave a comment to the seller" on the final check out page or immediately email us with your Order #.
A8. You are right, your other mouthguard may be “just fine”, but don’t you deserve the best protection while you play?
We have engineered a Better Boil and Bite to stand out from the others. After several years of research, we have patented the APEX Bite Pattern. Defined by our 3D geometric bite pattern inside of the guard, it guarantees a perfect alignment and a closer, precise fit. Better fit = better protection.
Once you upgrade to our accurate 3D scanning, we promise an EXCELLENT, snug fit and optimal comfort. Having an impeccable custom-fit guard allows the athlete to perform better. A comfortable fit increases the likelihood that it will be worn.
Why choose GuardLab:
- All of our sports guards from APEX to ARC receive the same quality craftsmanship and attention to detail.
- Every guard is made with high quality shock absorbing dental grade material that is BPA free, latex free and phthalates free.
- Design it the way you want it. We make everything made-to-order, which reduces waste and improves efficiencies.
- We're trusted by the pros from NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and more. Our 3D technology and craftsmanship is unrivaled.
- Easy re-ordering online. We store everything in digital records.
- All purchases include a com+plimentary carrying case.
- We manufacture 100% in New York, USA.
- Pretty cool stuff, we know. We are stoked about what we do and hope you are too! Read our product reviews from real athletes, just like you!
A9. Nope. We keep your 3D digital impression in our Lab so if you need another one, select "Re-Order" as your fitting method. Simply re-order online, send us an email or give us a call. We will ship you the replacement guard as soon as possible.
A10. For the best experience, Log In to your account or Create an Account. This will show your past purchases history. If the system doesn't recognize your email, pls use our Online Chat and we will re-set your account password. Remember to choose "Re-Order" as your fitting method on the product page.
Don't worry - we keep all 3D Scans and Digital Impressions from your previous Home Kit on file and your last guard will fit just like the first one.
A11. How quickly your teeth will shift depends on various factors. Since everyone’s situation is unique, we recommend calling us if you are feeling any discomfort with your guard or you've had major dental work. Your comfort and experience are important to us, and we will talk through options and next steps with you.
A12. No problem! We recommend consulting your orthodontist for assistance or applying ortho wax to protect your brackets before fitting any boil and bite (APEX or APEX LITE) products. Our custom 3D Scan also can be used for those of you with braces as well. Remember, your teeth are shifting so a custom fit mouthguard will only match your current impression. You will need to do another impression later on or when your braces come off.
We do not recommend using a Home Impression Kit if wearing braces.
A13. Yes, we also accept traditional dental models. Either yourself, or your dentist, can ship us a stone model for a PRO or Recovery Guard. Be sure to include your name on the models and send us an email with your Order #.
We will digitally store your information (at no extra cost) for easy re-ordering in the future!
A14. If you seek the ultimate in protection AND performance, then our ARC Guards are the best guards on the planet. To purchase this guard, you must see a Certified GuardLab Dentist or attend one of our scan events.
The ARC™ Guard comes in 2 different styles: Upper Guards for contact sports and Lower Performance Guards for non-contact, helmet or endurance sports (i.e. soccer, baseball, football, weightlifting, rowing, etc.)
Guards are worn individually, meaning, you don't need to wear them at the same time. The added support in our ARC™ Technology will stabilize your jaw while allowing you to speak, breathe and exert power without any distraction.
Our patented Alignment Repositioning Cushion (ARC™) Technology will optimize the position of your jaw to help absorb impact and dissipate pressure to assist in reducing the risk of injury. Additionally, it has been proven that this perfect alignment increases oxygenation, stabilizes muscles of the head, neck and jaw, and enhances flexibility, balance, strength and explosive power.
A15. Great question, but unfortunately the results are mixed within the industry. With that said, based on our research, we can tell you that mouthguard materials by nature have shock absorption qualities.
Sports Dentistry states the following:
“Mouthguards must be resilient and yet soft enough to absorb impact energy and reduce transmitted forces. When a properly-fitted and balanced custom-made mouthguard is in place then, there is a forward/downward movement of the jaw, thus opening the space between the glenoid fossa and the condylar head. This may reduce the opportunity for the condylar head to directly impact the glenoid fossa after an upward blow to the jaw, thus reducing the impact and acceleration forces to the entire temporal region.”
Ok so that was a lot of technical jargon, but net-net, a custom ARCᵀᴹ mouthguard with a balanced bite MIGHT assist in reducing the risk of injury by creating space within the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) and reducing the impact to the jaw. There are no guarantees when it comes to concussions, but here at GuardLab, we are going to do our absolute best to keep you protected.
A16. Absolutely. If you can assemble a small group, we offer wholesale pricing. Simply email us for a quote. If your team is interested in Custom Guards, we can arrange a Scan Event at a local Dentist or on-site at your school or gym. Email info@guardlab.com to enquire.
A17. Our APEX and APEX Lite products are available with select gym partners, retail stores, team dealers and Amazon.
We've recently partnered with Bauer Hockey and Bauer APEX Guards are available in select stores across the USA and Canada!
If you are interested in becoming a seller or you'd like to be the first Dentist in your area to offer GuardLab products, please contact us info@guardlab.com- we'd love to partner with you.
A18. If you have questions about your mouthguard, please reach out to us via our online chat or by email: info@guardlab.com
We want you to be happy with your mouthguard and will address any issues within 30 days.
APEX/APEX LITE: please carefully follow the instructions to heat and mold your mouthguard. Contact us if any issues. We normally do not accept returns on mouthguards that have been molded. When a return or exchange is accepted, we will deduct any shipping costs or may charge a shipping/handling fee.
APEX DIY: please contact us immediately if there is an error or sizing issue with your DIY Guard. We will charge a $15 replacement fee on DIY APEX.
PRO, ARC or Recovery: please contact us and we will investigate and find a solution for you!
Discounts and Sales: discount codes have no cash value, and we do not provide any refunds on purchases if an active discount code was not used at the time of purchase.
OUR STORY
Premium mouthguards for modern athletes.
Accuracy is everything when it comes to the perfect fit. Every mouthguard is built using 3D technology... empowering protection, performance and recovery for you, the modern athlete.
We use 3D scanners to capture every curve and ridge of your unique teeth for the most accurate mouthguards possible. We researched & developed solutions for every type of athlete because we believe everyone deserves the best in mouthguard protection.
We are modernizing every step of the process and making it better for you. From storing your stone models in digital records, to re-defining the Boil & Bite, with our APEX™ technology. GuardLab is here to give athletes the best mouthguards on the planet. We offer unrivaled customer service, convenience, true comfort and reliability. We love what we do, and hope you do too.