Nightguards are mainly recommended for bruxism to prevent the unconscious grinding of teeth. Dr. Eliaz Kaufman in New York, can customize night guards to fit your mouth properly to increase the effectiveness of protecting your teeth and avoiding long-term damage to your smile. But without proper care, the guard can become worn out, smelly, and filled with plaque and calcium, which may do more harm than good. Therefore, it is crucial to learn how to take care of and clean the guard, and here are some effective ways.
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Clean the Guard Once a Day
Your doctor will recommend you clean your night guard at least once every day to prevent plaque and dirt buildups. Be careful and follow this direction strictly, as it will also ensure your guard lasts longer. The best idea is to clean the guard every morning when you wake up, which you can do quickly by rinsing with a mouth wash to prevent bacteria buildup. Run the guard under cool water and brush it with the appropriate brush. However, ensure you take some time in the week to do a thorough cleaning of the guard.
Cleaning With a Gentle Soap
You can apply hand soap to clean your night guard, but dishwashing soap is a better choice. Put a small amount of the soap on the mouth guard and brush it off. Remember to be careful with the toothbrush you are using, you can get a special cleaning brush rather than the one you used to brush your teeth. Instead, try a hard-bristled toothbrush and use lukewarm water on it to create suds. After gently brushing the guard, rinse it under cool water, ensuring that all soap comes out. You can feel around to be certain that no soap is left over as it can cause unpleasant irritation to your oral mucosa.
Use a Bleach Solution
You can also refine your night guard using a bleach solution, particularly if you are not allergic to any bleach. When making the bleach, ensure you research adequately to know what to do and use gloves to protect your hands. After you make your bleach solution, soak the guard for about ten minutes for the bleach to kill the bacteria and plaque that may have formed on the guard, then discard the solution. Remember to rinse it with running water until all the solution is one as it can damage your mouth’s soft tissues.
Use a Denture Cleaner
You can also purchase a denture cleaner for your night guard. The cleaner is in the form of a tablet, and all you need to do is fill a cleaning bowl with cold tap water and drop it in the tablet. Put the guard in the solution for about ten minutes and rinse well to remove all the solution. You should never leave the guard in the solution for long periods as the solution can harm it.
Keep the Guard in a Case
This is an important part of cleaning the night guard as it ensures your guard remains clean and in good shape. The night guard can be damaged by pets or heat if left exposed, and it would be good to use a case after cleaning constantly. Also, do not forget to clean the case before you put your clean guard in, as it could diminish your cleaning efforts.
Learn how to effectively clean a mouth guard by consulting the night guard specialists at East Village Dental Center. If you have not yet gotten your guard, your provider will customize a treatment plan for you.
