A dental guard and tray, includes a thermoplastic dental guard, and a generally rigid tray fittingly receiving the dental guard during heating and fitting of the dental guard to teeth of the user. The dental guard includes a pair of bite pads positionable below rear teeth of the user and a connection band that connects between the bite pads and is positionable behind upper or lower front teeth of the user. The rigid tray includes a pair of bite pad supports and a connecting arc, the bite pad supports each providing a planar depression or well for receiving one of the bite pads, the connecting arc spanning between the bite pads and having fingers located proximate a midpoint of the arc and configured to angle rearwardly and upwardly from the connecting arc so as to underlie and receive the band when the dental guard is received onto the tray.