How to Care for Your Night Mouthguard

As humans, we only get two sets of teeth in our life. Both sets have their role to play and are important to take care of. One of the things that some people do to take care of their teeth is to wear a mouth guard at night to protect the teeth from the forces exerted when they clench or grind their teeth at night. Do you know how to take care of your mouth guard though?

Proper mouth guard care starts with daily care. The first thing you should do when you take your mouth guard out in the morning is to rinse it off in water that is no warmer than lukewarm. Use a cloth to get most of the water off, and then let it air dry on a clean surface. Once it’s completely dry, store it in its case. 

Give your case a wash every few days too. Wash it by hand with dish soap, rather than putting it in the dishwasher. That could melt it. As with your mouth guard, let the case dry completely before storing your mouth guard in it.

It’s a good idea to give your mouth guard a good deep cleaning on a weekly basis. There are a couple of ways to do this. The first option is to use a cleaning tablet specifically for dental devices. Put the tablet and your mouth guard into a glass of water and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then rinse it off and allow it to dry. The other way is to use mouthwash or hydrogen peroxide. You can either mix a capful of mouthwash with enough water to cover the mouth guard or equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide in a cup. Let the mouth guard soak in the solution for 10-30 minutes before rinsing it off and allowing it to dry completely before storing it.

Staining can happen fairly easily, especially if you don’t take the time to clean your mouth guard properly. You may be able to keep stains from worsening by using cleaning tablets more frequently. If calcium deposits are the problem, try soaking your mouth guard in a solution of 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water for 15 minutes. Then use a soft bristled toothbrush to scrub away any remaining calcium and rinse it with cool or lukewarm water before allowing it to dry completely.

If you wear a mouth guard at night and want to take good care of your teeth, you need to extend your oral care routine to include your mouth guard. Taking good care of your mouth guard will help it stay in good condition and last longer. Remember, in order to take care of your teeth the best way possible, you need to keep the tools you use in good condition too.

Need a night mouth guard? Let us help you get set up with a properly fitting mouth guard.

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