Are you a regular user of mouth guard? Learn how to clean mouth guard effectively. You know that your dental guard has to be clean and neat always to fight off germs and prolong its life span right?
How would you feel when you pick up your mouth guard and you discover dirt on it, I guess you will feel like puking, I mean throw up right?
Now the point is that when you fail to practice good hygiene on those devices, you are more prone to germs and bacteria organisms which may cause bad breath especially in the morning and other teeth conditions.
If you are on teeth whitening trays treatment, you are required to make use of mouth guard if you are your kid is found of gnashing your teeth at night.
With the proper combination of good hygiene and good diet, you can strive to keep your mouth guard clean even when you don’t actually know how to clean mouth guard the proper way.
What is a mouth guard?
Know that many of us may not know what a mouth guard is or you have been seeing it being worn by some athletes but do not know what name it is called.
Mouth guards are mouth care technology products are made of polymer materials and also are usually made of Ethylene-vinyl acetate.
ALSO READ: How to clean your tongue properly (Best Practices)
According to Wikihow, a mouth guard or dental guard as the case may be is a protective dental device, worn to protect your teeth especially during physical contact sports like boxing, hockey and American football.
Mouth guard which is also called mouth protector, mouth piece, gumshield, gum guard, night guard, or bite plane is a device that protects your lips, gums and teeth against injuries especially when you are involved in contact sports.
Aside the conventional mouth guards in the markets, there are also custom mouth guards specially made for you if you desire. They are removable and can conform to the shape of your lips, teeth or mouth.
But for this sake of this post, I am only concerned about how to clean your night guard, i.e the mouth guard you wear against teeth grinding or teeth clenching at night.
There are also snoring mouth guards for those that snore while they sleep and also dental mouth guards for those who clench their teeth while asleep.
Why you should be concerned about cleaning your night guard
Surely if you are a frequent user of these gumshields, you will discover that overtime, this mouth guard becomes smelly and coated with stains.
This coating may be as a result of calcium formation around the shaft of the mouth guards which graduates to plaque formation as a result of constant deposits of bacteria on it.
How to clean a mouth guard
With these tips below, I bet you, you won’t find it difficult to clean your night guard anymore. They are generally DIY steps to stay orally clean.
When your friends ask you how to clean mouth guard, always refer them to this post.
Let’s get started then…
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1. Clean your mouth guard once a day
The first step to take on your mouth guard is to make sure you clean it once everyday even if you did not use it for that day. This will cause the mouth wear to always remain free from dust and bacteria regularly
2. Rinse immediately after wearing
Right after removing your night guard and after cleaning it, you need to rinse it immediately. You can do this with warm water (don’t use hot water please because it can melt your mouth guard). This way, you can make sure your night guard is clean and free from bacteria.
3. Always allow to dry
Have noticed why drugs are always advised to be stored in a dry and well ventilated place? This is because bacteria do not thrive in such areas. Therefore, always allow your mouth guard to dry before putting
4. Get a good toothbrush
It is advisable to use toothbrushes and mild toothpaste to clean your mouth guard. Use a non-abrasive toothbrush and a soft bristled one at that, give your night guard a good and soft brush over, then rinse.
5. Get a toothbrush specifically for the purpose
For the sake of knowing how to clean mouth guard with toothbrush, I advise you to get a specific toothbrush for this purpose. Do not use same toothbrush you use in brushing your teeth to clean your mouth guard.
6. Hydrogen Peroxide
Use a little hydrogen to sterilize your mouth guard when not in use. This detoxifies your mouth guard from contact infections. Disinfect thoroughly using 2-3% hydrogen peroxide. Rinse or soak the guard with the solution for no more than 6-10 minutes to achieve the needed result.
7. Use soap and water
Always use soap and warm water to clean your mouth guard. The singular act of washing your guard with anti-bacterial soap will help keep bacteria at bay and improve the technical health of your night guard.
8. User Mouth guard Cleaners
There are a lot of night guard cleaners in the market to use to clean your night guard. It is strongly advised that you use non alcoholic cleaners instead. There are non-alcohol based cleaners, such as Fresh Guard (check price on Amazon), that are specially formulated for cleaning your night guard.
When you feel you don’t know how to clean your mouth guard using them, you can easily sanitize your guard with one soak.
9. Keep and Store your mouth guard properly
Always make sure you keep your mouth guard in it’s case after every use. Make sure it is kept in a ventilated case so as to avoid bacteria attack and buildup when you wake up, store your guard in a ventilated case.
10. Keep your mouth guard case clean
What’s the gain after rinsing your mouth guard then you put it back in a case that’s dirty? Always ensure that your mouth guard case is free from dirt and dry.
ALSO READ: 20 Best whitening mouthwash for Kids, Teens and Adults (Buyers Guide)
What you should NOT do to a mouth guard
- Do not put your mouth guard in a boiling water
- Do not use toothpaste to clean your dental guard
- Do not soak your guard overnight
- Do not use isopropyl alcohol based cleaning agents.
- Do not use hand sanitizer, dish soap, Bleach or Denture Tablets
- Do not put it in the dishwasher
Wrapping up…
Funny as it may seem, I know that before now, you do not know how to clean mouth guard as much as you know now.
I happy I solved a problem for you. Do not be ashamed to share it across your social media platforms using the social buttons here.
Kindly drop your comments below.
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