Your mouth is packed full of bacteria and, when you wear your mouthguard, that bacteria is transferred to it. Regular rinsing and brushing after wearing it helps reduce that bacteria, but deep cleaning at least once a week kills the bacteria, helping to prevent it from growing and even making you sick. While over-the-counter products designed to clean your mouthguard are easy to use, what happens when you run out of those little tablets? What if you are looking for a more natural way to deep clean your mouthguard? Can common household products kill the bacteria and really get your mouthguard clean? The answer is YES!
Traditional Dental Appliance Cleaners
Denture cleaning tablets are often used to deep clean mouthguards. While these products work well for non-porous porcelain material like dentures, it doesn’t always do a great job cleaning plastic, such as the plastic that makes up your mouthguard. While it will help to reduce bacteria and mouth film on your mouthguard, it doesn’t get it as clean as you may want it.
At SportingSmiles, we recommend cleaning your mouthguard, teeth grinding guard, or orthodontic retainer with Fresh Guard by Efferdent. This product is specially formulated to clean these products by breaking up mouth film and bacteria without damaging the plastic. This product dissolves in a cup of water used to soak your mouthguard. Within five minutes, 99.9 percent of bacteria are destroyed, leaving you with a clean and fresh mouthguard.
A Natural Cleaning Alternative for Your Mouthguard
While denture cleaner and Fresh Guard are easy to use products, what happens if you run out or forget to pick it up? What if you are looking for a more natural option for cleaning? Is it possible to get your mouthguard clean without using one of these products? The answer is yes and may already be in your kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
Regular cleaning helps to extend the life of your mouthguard and reduce the risk of making you sick. Visit SportingSmiles today to learn about our custom-fit mouthguards and get yourself a backup guard so you always have one clean and ready for wear!
This natural cleaning method uses white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. It is a little more time consuming than denture tablets or Fresh Guard but will remove bacteria and plaque from your fang mouthguard.
To begin, fill a glass with enough white vinegar to cover the mouthguard. Let your guard soak for up to 30 minutes, but no longer. After soaking completes, remove the mouthguard and rinse well with warm water (do not use hot water as this can distort the plastic in your mouthguard). After rinsing the glass and the mouthguard, fill the cup with enough hydrogen peroxide to cover the mouthguard and again allow it to soak for 30 minutes. Remove the mouthguard and rinse again with warm water. Allow our guard to completely dry and store it in a clean container.
Not All Cleaning Options Really Work
If you do a search on the internet, you are sure to find many different methods to clean your mouthguard, but not all of these methods actually work to kill bacteria. And worse yet, some of these methods can actually damage your mouthguard.
For example, you may read that soaking your mouthguard in mouthwash, alone or mixed with water, can provide a deep cleaning method. While this will kill the bacteria on your mouthguard, most mouthwashes contain alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol can dry out and damage your mouthguard, leaving it more susceptible to bacterial buildup, as well as affect its level of protection. When this occurs, replacing your mouthguard is essential. If you can find an alcohol-free mouthwash, mixing it with water and soaking your mouthguard for 30 minutes can be effective.
Improper Cleaning Can Lead to Damage and the Need to Replace Your Mouthguard
SportingSmiles is here to help if you need a replacement mouthguard. Our custom-fit mouthguards, using our patented self-impression kit and make a mold at home. This allows us to offer the same high-quality mouthguard at a fraction of the price your dentist charges. For more information, visit Athletic Mouth Guards or Teeth Grinding Guards.
No matter what deep cleaning method you choose, always be sure to give regular care to your mouthguard. This helps keep you healthy and ensures your mouthguard protects your teeth as it should. Proper and regular care will also help extend the life of your mouthguard.
