According to Colgate, “Calcium deposits” or buildup can be commonly referred to as tartar or calculus. These are hardened layers of plaque or dental biofilm. When you wear a night guard, that plaque and biofilm may be transferred onto the guard after use. How to remove calcium buildup on night guard is simple and easy to do if you follow these tips.
Good Oral Health
How to remove calcium buildup on night guard starts with keeping your oral health in the best possible shape. Brushing your teeth and flossing daily will help remove the calcium buildup, tartar, and biofilm from your mouth and teeth. When you eat solids and drink liquids, particles left behind are stuck in your teeth and around your gums. Those particles turn to bacteria over time. By brushing your teeth and flossing, you remove those particles that will turn into bacteria and calcium buildups on your night guard. Having good oral health and giving your mouth a daily cleaning is the best step in removing calcium buildup on your night guard.
Removing Calcium Buildup on Night Guard
Cleaning Tablets
SportingSmiles has thoroughly gone in-depth when it comes to cleaning oral devices with our cleaning videos on YouTube. We have a variety of over-the-counter products, natural home remedies, and on-the-go cleaning solutions for retainers, but thankfully night guards also qualify for the exact cleaning methods. You can purchase over-the-counter cleaning tablets like Polident or FreshGuard. By filling up a glass halfway with warm water and immersing your night guard in the water and then putting a cleaning tablet in, it will help remove calcium buildup on your night guard. Keep your night guard soaking for 10 minutes if you are doing daily cleanings of it. If the night guard has a difficult buildup of plaque and tartar, you may want to soak your night guard for up to 30 minutes. Once removed from the cleaning solution, have a soft bristle toothbrush and gently brush away at the remaining plaque or tartar. The buildup should come off easier after the guard has been soaking. It’s important not to use a hard bristle toothbrush because the fibers can cause micro scratches on the guard which lead potentially more bacteria.
Natural Cleaning
Did you know that the acidity in vinegar makes as a great cleaning solution? If you mix a quarter of a glass of warm water with either white or apple vinegar, and then put your night guard in the solution, it will help remove calcium buildup on the night guard. The vinegar will pull at the tartar making it loose on the guard. This process is a bit longer, however, and you’ll want to soak your night guard in vinegar solution for around 20 minutes. For night guards that have yellow or white spots on them, you may want to let the guard soak for up to an hour. Vinegar is a great natural sanitizer but it may leave your guard with a strong odor. Make sure to rinse off your night guard under warm water or soak it for another 20 minutes in just water. Once the guard has finished soaking, use a soft bristle toothbrush to remove any excess calcium on the guard.
Vinegar can be a harsh smell, and if you don’t want to deal with it you can use Baking Soda to clean your night guard. Baking Soda is a common kitchen ingredient and is often used to prevent or remove bad smells in the fridge. Removing the calcium buildup from your night guard is easier when using Baking Soda.
Take a clean container or glass and fill it with 3/4 cup of warm water. Next, take two tablespoons of Baking Soda and sprinkle it into the water. You’ll see a cloudy solution start to form, feel free to stir for 10 seconds to make the Baking Soda mix better. Once properly mixed, place your night guard into the natural cleaning solution and let it soak for 20 to 30 minutes. How to remove calcium buildup on a night guard is easy with baking soda, but it can take time. You’ll want to take a soft bristle toothbrush and gently scrub the calcium off the night guard until it’s clean.
Our last natural cleaning solution for your teeth grinding guard involves castile soap. You may be tempted to clean your night guard with dish soap but that’s not recommended. Castile soap originated in Europe and was originally made with olive oil. It can now be made with Hemp Oils, Coconut, and other natural ingredients, but it remains animal-free and 100 percent vegan. The soap comes in both bar and liquid form, but to remove calcium buildup on your night guard we recommend the liquid form.
You’ll want a clean glass filled with warm distilled water. Mix in a small amount of castile soap and gently stir for 30 seconds. Place your night guard into the natural cleaning solution and let it soak for between five and ten minutes. After the time is up, remove your night guard and gently brush it with the soft bristle toothbrush for a minute using the same solution from the glass. Once completely scrubbed, run your grinding guard under warm water to rinse the solution off.
Calcium Buildup Won’t Come off Night Guard
There are times when a night guard is too dirty or has too much calcium buildup to be properly cleaned or restored. When this happens you’ll need to order a new night guard from your dentist. This can be a costly experience and require multiple visits to your orthodontist. You will need a new night guard because wearing a gross or bacteria-riddled guard may make you sick or cause sores in your mouth. The protection that a night guard offers also comes into question when the material is weakened by calcium buildup.
SportingSmiles has been in business since 2009 crafting premium night guards for people who suffer from TMJ, bruxism, and teeth grinding. With the patented impression kit, you can order a new night guard online. You’ll take easy impressions and then ship them back to the SportingSmiles headquarters where the experts will craft you one of six night guards that you can select. These night guards can be crafted based on the severity of your clenching or grinding but at half the cost of the dentist.
Night guards overtime will need to be replaced due to the intense force put on them from grinding or from calcium buildup that is near impossible to remove. Using the cleaning methods and tips above you can extend the lifespan of your night guard but when it comes to a new one, SportingSmiles can make it simple and affordable. With the need to replace night guards once a year, SportingSmiles offers a special reorder discount to returning customers that can save up to 35% off or have their impressions 3D scanned and kept on file for life. This makes reordering a new night guard as simple as a few clicks.
How to remove calcium buildup on night guard starts with preventing the tartar, plaque, and biofilm from building up in your mouth. If it gets onto your night guard there are a few ways to deep clean the night guard and help remove the calcium from it. At some point, it may become too difficult to remove and that’s when you’ll need a new night guard to properly protect yourself from grinding and clenching. SportingSmiles can craft you a new one when you need it designed for maximum protection, extreme comfort, and affordability.
