Buying your first custom night guard is an oddly uncertain purchase.
You may know that you grind your teeth. You may wake with a tired jaw, notice wear along the edges of your teeth, or have a dentist telling you it is time to protect them. But until a custom guard is actually in your mouth, words like soft, hybrid, 2mm and 3mm remain surprisingly abstract.
That uncertainty is where Sentinel Mouthguards and ClearClub begin to separate.
Both companies make custom night guards without requiring the traditional in-office purchasing route. Both use impressions or digital dental information to create an appliance shaped to the wearer's teeth. Both have genuine strengths.
ClearClub makes the category more colorful and offers an automatic renewal program. Sentinel offers a wider progression of material constructions, direct consumer digital-scan ordering, and a longer path for working through fit or material problems when the first choice is not quite right.
For someone who has never owned a custom night guard before, those less visible differences may ultimately matter more than the obvious ones.
Two companies, two philosophies
ClearClub makes the night guard feel more personal
Most custom night guards look exactly like what they are: clear dental appliances.
ClearClub has deliberately moved away from that convention.
Its current lineup includes solid colors and multicolor designs, giving shoppers considerably more aesthetic choice than Sentinel offers. For someone who would rather reach for a pink, blue, green or patterned appliance every night than a traditional clear guard, that is a genuine ClearClub advantage.
It is tempting to dismiss color as superficial, but adherence matters. A night guard only protects the teeth when it is actually worn. Enjoying the object you are expected to sleep with every night is not a clinical benefit, but it is not meaningless either.
ClearClub also offers scheduled renewals. Customers can elect to receive replacement guards at recurring intervals without retaking their impressions each time when the stored model remains suitable.
Sentinel does not offer automatic night guard subscriptions. Customers replace their appliance when wear, fit changes or their own preferences indicate that it is time.
If you are deciding how often replacement is actually necessary, our guide to how long dental night guards last explains why lifespan can differ considerably from one wearer to another.
The more consequential question is not which night guard looks better. It is what happens when the guard you chose is not the guard you actually want to wear.
What first-time buyers often underestimate
You are choosing a material before you know how that material feels.
An experienced night guard wearer may already know that soft material feels too flexible, that rigid material feels secure, or that a hybrid construction gives them the balance they prefer.
A first-time buyer is making those decisions largely in theory.
Soft sounds comfortable. Hard sounds durable. Hybrid sounds like the sensible middle. But each construction feels distinctly different once it is seated over the teeth.
ClearClub currently offers its clear night guard in several thicknesses using a softer inner material and harder outer surface. Its colored guards use soft material on both the inside and outside.
Sentinel approaches the decision differently. Its lineup progresses across constructions: fully soft, soft-inside/hard-outside, fully hard, and a thicker fully hard option.
Put another way, ClearClub provides multiple thickness choices within its principal clear construction. Sentinel provides a wider range of constructions.
Neither model is automatically best for everyone. But if you have never worn a night guard and do not know how much firmness you will tolerate, construction choice becomes considerably more important.
Our guide to soft vs. hard night guard materials explains those differences in more detail.
There is another difference before the guard is even made
For most customers, the traditional online night guard process begins with putty.
An impression kit arrives in the mail. You mix the materials, load a tray, capture the teeth and send the completed impression to the lab.
ClearClub's consumer-facing ordering process continues to center on this at-home impression model. The company also participates in professional digital-dental integrations, including Medit Link, through which participating dental professionals can send scans into its workflow.
What we could not locate in ClearClub's current consumer ordering information is a comparable option for an individual customer who already possesses an independent STL dental scan to simply upload or email that file directly when placing an order.
Skip the putty
Sentinel lets eligible customers order directly from their existing dental scan.
If your dentist or orthodontist can provide a current STL or PLY file of your teeth, Sentinel can accept that eligible file directly from you. There is no need to retake a physical impression simply because the scan originated somewhere else.
This can be particularly useful for patients who have already had an intraoral scan for orthodontics, retainers, restorative treatment or routine digital records.
Read Skip the Putty: How to Order a Custom Night Guard From an STL Digital Scan to see how the process works and what file to request from your dental office.
A digital file does not automatically make the final guard better than one made from an accurate physical impression. Both are simply methods of capturing the teeth.
The advantage is convenience. If a usable scan already exists, repeating the impression step may be unnecessary.
If you use putty, the impression still matters enormously
The impression does not need to look beautiful. It does need to capture the anatomy the lab requires without significant distortion.
ClearClub uses an impression-photo review process before customers return their molds. That is a useful safeguard because it gives the company an opportunity to identify an obviously unsuitable impression before fabrication.
Sentinel also evaluates submitted impressions before making the appliance and requests another when the mold cannot reliably be used.
Customers taking an impression for the first time can follow our step-by-step dental impression guide before beginning.
The part customers never see
Custom fit does not end when the impression reaches the lab.
The impression or digital scan is the blueprint. The appliance still has to be fabricated, trimmed and finished so that it follows the contours of the teeth without carrying unnecessary material where it is not needed.
“Custom made” describes the entire process—not merely the fact that a mold exists.
Both companies make their night guards in the United States
Manufacturing location is not actually a point of separation between these two companies.
ClearClub currently states that its guards are made in the USA and identifies its night guard lab as being in Los Angeles, California.
Sentinel fabricates and hand-finishes its custom appliances in its own dental lab in St. Petersburg, Florida.
For consumers who value domestic manufacturing, both companies therefore have a credible U.S.-made story.
Where Sentinel differs is in how visible the laboratory process is throughout its educational content and customer support. Fit questions can be coordinated with the same lab workflow responsible for reviewing impressions, fabricating the appliance and handling adjustments or remakes.
A custom night guard cannot simply be returned to inventory and sold to somebody else. If something is wrong, the real value of the company begins with what it is willing to do next.
The guarantee is where the comparison changes
Both companies promote satisfaction-oriented policies. Their published terms, however, create different amounts of room for a first-time buyer to work through a problem.
ClearClub's current terms provide a limited period for completed-guard refunds and replacement requests. The company's published policy also states that material exchanges are not permitted once a guard has been fabricated.
For somebody who already knows exactly which construction they like, that may never become relevant.
First-time buyers have less certainty.
Sentinel's approach
Give the customer more than one way to get to the right guard.
Sentinel's current 100-day satisfaction policy begins when the guard is received rather than when the original order is placed.
Eligible fit issues can be addressed through adjustments, remakes and one complimentary replacement impression kit, with up to three attempts available in combination under the policy.
The policy also allows customers to change to another guard type or thickness during the satisfaction period, subject to the published terms and any applicable price difference.
That material flexibility is easy to overlook until it becomes useful.
Someone may order a hard guard because durability sounds reassuring, only to discover that they strongly prefer something softer. Another wearer may begin with soft material and find that their grinding pattern demands something more rigid.
Sentinel does not promise that every customer's first choice will be perfect. Instead, the satisfaction process leaves more room to change direction when it is not.
Changing from an upper appliance to a lower appliance, or vice versa, is different because it requires an impression or scan of another dental arch and therefore a new custom appliance.
If an eligible fit issue cannot be resolved after the available attempts, Sentinel's current published policy provides for a refund less the stated materials and shipping fee.
A guarantee and a warranty are not the same thing
The distinction sounds technical, but it matters.
A satisfaction guarantee addresses the early experience with the appliance: fit, material choice and whether the initial product works for the customer.
A craftsmanship warranty addresses covered defects in materials or workmanship for a defined period after purchase.
Sentinel currently provides a one-year craftsmanship warranty on its Hybrid, Hard and Durability Guards and a six-month craftsmanship warranty on its Comfort Guard. Normal wear, improper care, pet damage and changes to the teeth are distinct from manufacturing defects and are handled differently under the terms.
ClearClub provides refund and replacement remedies through its satisfaction process, while its current published terms separately disclaim express and implied warranties.
That does not mean ClearClub will refuse to help a customer who experiences a problem. It means the two companies structure longer-term purchase protection differently.
Sentinel's material spectrum
Four clear appliances. Four noticeably different experiences.
On a collection page they can look deceptively similar. In the mouth, moving from fully soft to hybrid to fully hard changes the feel far more than a product photograph can communicate.
Comfort Guard: the soft end of the spectrum
The Sentinel Comfort Guard is the softest construction in the lineup.
For lighter grinding or for someone who has difficulty tolerating rigid appliances, softness can make nightly wear considerably easier.
The tradeoff is durability. A heavy grinder may compress or wear softer material more rapidly.
Hybrid Guard: the middle ground
The Sentinel Hybrid Guard combines soft EVA against the teeth with a harder copolyester exterior.
ClearClub's clear night guard uses the same broad soft-inner/hard-outer concept, although the companies' materials, thickness options and manufacturing processes differ.
Hybrid construction can be appealing to first-time wearers who are hesitant to commit fully to either soft or rigid material.
Fully hard is where Sentinel's material range extends further
ClearClub's current night guard lineup does not list a fully hard construction.
Sentinel's 2mm Hard Guard and thicker Durability Guard are rigid throughout rather than cushioned on the tooth-facing surface.
That does not mean an all-hard guard is automatically better for a heavy grinder. Rigid appliances feel different, and some people strongly prefer the give of soft or hybrid material.
The advantage is choice. If softer constructions do not meet the wearer's needs, Sentinel has another material direction available within the same product line.
People with extensive restorative dental work, significant tooth damage, persistent jaw symptoms or uncertainty about appliance selection should involve their dentist in the decision.
Support becomes part of the product when the product is custom
First-time buyers tend to ask questions that experienced night guard wearers no longer think about.
Is the impression deep enough? Is the guard supposed to feel this snug? Does an edge need adjustment? Is the pressure temporary, or is something wrong with the fit? Would another material work better?
Sentinel handles customer support through email so fit questions can remain documented and, when necessary, be coordinated with the dental lab. If a case moves from an adjustment to a remake or material exchange, the history does not have to start over.
None of this makes a night guard a substitute for professional dental care.
A night guard primarily creates a protective barrier between the teeth. It may reduce direct tooth-to-tooth wear associated with grinding and clenching, but it does not necessarily stop bruxism itself or treat its underlying cause.
Persistent jaw pain, changes in the bite, damaged teeth, tooth mobility or other concerning symptoms should be evaluated by a dentist.
If you are still trying to determine which appliance makes sense, our custom night guard buyer's guide goes deeper into fit, material and construction.
Now the side-by-side comparison becomes useful
Once you separate color from construction, impression method from fabrication, and the initial purchase from what happens afterward, the differences are easier to see.
| What matters | Sentinel Mouthguards | ClearClub |
|---|---|---|
| Custom fit | Yes | Yes |
| Consumer at-home impression | Yes | Yes |
| Direct customer STL / PLY submission | Yes, for eligible current dental scans | No comparable consumer-facing independent-file submission pathway located in the current ordering information; professional digital integrations are available |
| Fully soft option | Yes, Comfort Guard | Yes, through current color guards |
| Soft-inner / hard-outer option | Yes, Hybrid Guard | Yes, current clear guard |
| Fully hard option | Yes, Hard and Durability Guards | No fully hard night guard currently listed |
| Color choices | Clear | Multiple solid and multicolor choices |
| Automatic replacement program | No; customers reorder when needed | Yes |
| U.S. manufacturing | St. Petersburg, Florida | ClearClub currently identifies its lab as Los Angeles, California |
| Guard type / thickness exchange | Available within Sentinel's satisfaction policy, subject to terms | Current published policy states material exchanges are not allowed after fabrication |
| Initial satisfaction / fit period | 100 days from receipt of the guard | More limited refund and replacement windows under current published terms |
| Separate craftsmanship warranty | 1 year on Hybrid, Hard and Durability; 6 months on Comfort | Current published terms disclaim express and implied warranties |
Comparison reflects publicly available product and policy information reviewed August 7, 2026. Product offerings, ordering methods and policies can change; review each company's current terms before purchasing.
Who ClearClub makes sense for
You know what you want—and you want your night guard to feel a little less clinical.
ClearClub is particularly appealing for someone who already knows they like a soft or soft-inner/hard-outer construction, enjoys having color choices, and values automatic replacement scheduling.
Its colorful guards are genuinely distinctive in this category. For some shoppers, that will matter more than having access to additional material constructions they may never use.
The key is being comfortable with the company's current fit, refund and material-exchange terms before fabrication begins.
Who Sentinel makes sense for
You are buying your first night guard—and you are not completely sure what you are going to like.
Sentinel's principal advantage is not a promise that the first appliance will always be perfect. Custom fit and personal material preference are too individual for that to be a responsible promise.
The advantage is having more ways to move forward when the first answer is not the final answer.
The material range moves from fully soft to hybrid to fully hard. Eligible fit problems can be adjusted or remade. Guard type or thickness can be changed within the satisfaction policy. Existing digital dental scans can sometimes eliminate the putty step entirely. And the principal guard constructions carry separate craftsmanship warranty coverage.
Sentinel's custom night guards have also been independently evaluated by practicing dentist Greg Grillo, DDS. His observations about construction, fit and the direct-to-consumer process are available in Dr. Grillo's evaluation of Sentinel custom night guards.
ClearClub is the more customizable choice. Sentinel is the more flexible one.
For many first-time buyers, the middle is a reasonable place to begin
Hybrid construction is not a universal recommendation. A lighter grinder may prefer the Comfort Guard, while someone who repeatedly destroys softer appliances may be better served by an all-hard construction.
That is the point of having several options.
The goal is not to crown one material as the best night guard for everybody. It is to make the first material decision less permanent.
You can compare all Sentinel custom night guard options before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sentinel Mouthguards better than ClearClub?
It depends on your priorities. ClearClub offers more personalization through color choices and an automatic renewal program. Sentinel offers a wider range of material constructions, including fully hard guards, direct consumer submission of eligible STL and PLY dental scans, a longer satisfaction period, guard-type and thickness exchanges under its policy, and separate craftsmanship warranty coverage. Those differences may be particularly valuable for first-time buyers who are not yet sure what kind of guard they prefer.
Can ClearClub use a digital dental scan?
ClearClub participates in professional digital-dental integrations such as Medit Link. At the time this comparison was reviewed, however, we could not locate a consumer-facing ClearClub option allowing an individual customer who already possesses an independent STL scan to simply upload or email that file during the standard ordering process. ClearClub's consumer instructions continue to center on its physical impression kit.
Can I send Sentinel an STL file from my dentist?
Yes. Sentinel accepts eligible current STL and PLY dental scan files directly from customers. If your dentist or orthodontist can provide a suitable digital model of your teeth, it may be possible to order without taking another physical impression.
Where are ClearClub night guards made?
ClearClub currently states that its night guards are made in the USA and identifies its night guard lab as being in Los Angeles, California. Sentinel fabricates and hand-finishes its custom appliances in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Does ClearClub make an all-hard night guard?
ClearClub's current clear night guards use softer material on the inside with a harder exterior, while its color guards use soft material on both surfaces. Its current lineup does not list a fully hard night guard. Sentinel offers both hybrid and fully rigid constructions.
Does ClearClub offer different night guard thicknesses?
Yes. ClearClub currently offers multiple thicknesses in its clear soft-inner/hard-outer construction. Thickness and material construction are separate considerations: increasing the thickness of a hybrid-style guard does not turn it into a fully hard appliance.
Does ClearClub offer subscriptions?
Yes. ClearClub offers a renewal program for customers who prefer scheduled replacement night guards without manually reordering each time.
Does ClearClub allow material exchanges?
ClearClub's current published policy states that material exchanges are not allowed once a custom night guard has been fabricated.
Does ClearClub have a product warranty?
ClearClub provides refund and replacement remedies through its satisfaction procedures. Its current published terms separately disclaim express and implied warranties. Sentinel provides separate craftsmanship warranty coverage in addition to its satisfaction policy.
What happens if a Sentinel night guard does not fit?
Sentinel's current 100-day satisfaction policy allows eligible fit problems to be addressed through adjustments, remakes and one complimentary replacement impression kit, with up to three resolution attempts in combination. If the issue cannot be resolved within the published policy terms, a refund is available minus the stated materials and shipping fee.
Can I change Sentinel night guard materials after trying one?
Sentinel currently permits exchanges to another guard type or thickness during its satisfaction period, subject to the policy terms and any applicable price difference. Switching between an upper and lower appliance requires a different dental impression or scan and is therefore treated differently.
Can a custom night guard stop teeth grinding?
Not necessarily. A night guard primarily creates a protective barrier between the teeth and may help reduce direct tooth-to-tooth wear associated with grinding and clenching. It does not necessarily eliminate the underlying bruxism behavior or address its cause.
The bottom line
Sentinel and ClearClub solve the same basic problem, but they emphasize different parts of the experience.
ClearClub makes a traditionally clinical product more expressive. Its colors are unusual in the custom night guard category, its clear construction comes in multiple thicknesses, and its renewal program makes scheduled replacement simple.
Sentinel puts more emphasis on optionality. Its lineup moves from fully soft to hybrid to fully hard. Customers who already have suitable digital scans can bypass the putty impression process. And its satisfaction and warranty policies provide more avenues for working through fit or material issues after the first guard arrives.
Both companies manufacture their guards in the United States. Both make truly custom appliances. Both have legitimate reasons a shopper might choose them.
For an experienced night guard wearer who knows exactly what construction and thickness they prefer, the choice may come down to personal priorities.
For a first-time buyer, we think there is a more useful question:
Which company leaves you with the better path forward if your first choice turns out not to be quite right?
On that question, Sentinel has the stronger case.
Editorial disclosure: This comparison was produced by Sentinel Mouthguards and is not an independent third-party review. ClearClub product features, manufacturing information, digital workflow information and policies were reviewed using publicly available company and professional-integration information on August 7, 2026. Sentinel information reflects its current published product, satisfaction, exchange and warranty terms. Company products, policies and ordering options may change; readers should review current terms before purchasing.