When your night guard becomes their favorite chew toy
It is almost never the shoe, the toy, or the blanket sitting right beside it. Somehow, your dog finds the one small, expensive thing you need to wear every night—and destroys it with impressive commitment.
If your dog chewed your night guard, you are not alone. Dogs are drawn to the familiar scent of saliva, and a custom guard has the flexible, satisfying texture of something made to be chewed. The good news: replacing a custom night guard can be much simpler than starting over.
Updated September 21, 2026 · 5-minute read
The short answer
Dogs seek out night guards because they smell like you and feel good to chew. Once a guard has been chewed, cracked, punctured, or stretched out of shape, it should be replaced—not worn or repaired at home.
Why do dogs chew night guards?
Your night guard carries your scent. Even after it has been rinsed, it can still smell familiar to your dog—especially compared with a brand-new chew toy. Add a flexible material, a compact shape, and the fact that it is often left on a bedside table or bathroom counter, and it becomes an easy target.
Dogs do not know they have found a custom dental appliance. To them, it is a small, interesting, very chewable object that smells like their person.
Puppies and dogs that are naturally enthusiastic chewers are especially likely to go after a guard. But even a normally well-behaved dog can make an exception for something that has been in your mouth all night.
What to do after your dog chews your night guard
First, take the guard away and look it over. If it has bite marks, tears, rough edges, missing pieces, or a changed shape, retire it. A custom night guard needs to fit precisely over your teeth. Even slight damage can affect its fit or leave an edge that is uncomfortable to wear.
Do not trim, glue, melt, or reshape it at home. That can make the fit less predictable and compromise the protective barrier between your teeth.
If you think your dog swallowed the guard or a significant piece of it, call your veterinarian for advice. Otherwise, the focus can move quickly to replacing your guard.
Replacing a night guard does not always mean taking a new impression
If you are replacing a Sentinel night guard and your teeth have not changed, you may be able to use the impression or digital record already on file. At checkout, select the option to use your impression on file. Our team will confirm whether your existing record is still eligible for a replacement.
A new impression or current digital scan may be needed if you have had dental work, orthodontic treatment, a new crown or implant, a tooth removed, or any other change that could affect the fit.
If you have a current scan from your dentist, you can also learn how to submit an STL or PLY dental scan for a custom night guard.
Replace the guard you loved—or choose a better match
If your previous guard fit well and worked for you, replacing the same style is usually the easiest route. If you had been wearing through it, wished it felt different, or were never fully comfortable in it, this is a good time to choose a guard that better fits your needs.
Sentinel makes every guard in our St. Petersburg, Florida lab from your impression or digital scan. Choose from a softer Comfort Guard, a firm Hard Guard, a Hybrid Guard with a soft interior and hard exterior, or a 3 mm Durability Guard for heavier grinding.
Not sure whether your old guard was the right style? Explore the Sentinel custom night guard collection before ordering. A replacement is a practical moment to make a better choice—not simply recreate a guard that was not serving you well.
Is a dog-chewed guard covered under warranty?
Dog damage is accidental damage, rather than a material or manufacturing issue, so it is not covered under a night guard warranty. But if your old guard was also cracking, wearing through unusually fast, or otherwise failing before your dog got to it, review how Sentinel’s night guard warranty works before placing a replacement order.
How to keep your next night guard safe from your dog
There is no complicated system required. Your night guard should go directly into its case whenever it is not in your mouth.
- Rinse and clean your night guard after wearing it.
- Allow it to dry, then close it in its case.
- Store the case in a drawer, cabinet, or high shelf—not on a bathroom counter, nightstand, or inside an open bag