Tips for Keeping Your Mouthguard Clean

Mouthguards are created and worn to protect you and care for your teeth and mouth, and they do a fantastic job of it. And while this may seem like a one-way street in most cases, it’s actually very important that you spend a little time caring for your mouthguard to keep it in pristine condition as well.

At Damage Control Mouthguards, we offer a wide range of custom mouthguard options for MMA, boxing, football, hockey and numerous other competitive activities. On top of our high-quality products, though, we can also offer care and cleaning expertise that will not only keep the mouthguard clean and healthy, but also keep it effective for the maximum period of time. Here are a few cleaning areas to keep in mind here.

Antibacterial Cleaning

Many mouthguard users think they’re fine just running some water over the mouthguard after each use, and this might be okay from time to time, but you’re risking major bacteria buildup if you don’t regularly use an antibacterial agent here as well. This takes virtually no time at all – just a quick squirt before you use the mouthguard, a rinse, and then another squirt and rinse once you’re done using it for the day. You’ll thank yourself six months or a year down the line, when your teammates all have to buy new mouthguards because theirs are so gunk-filled but yours is still fresh and clean.

Deep Cleaning

At least once a month, and more often if you wear the mouthguard regularly, deep clean the mouthguard with a bit more of a detailed process. We don’t recommend using toothpaste here – it will kill germs, but the scrubbing motion also wears down the mouthguard components and may require replacement sooner.

As an alternative, consider denture cleaner instead. This cleaner reaches into small spaces that others won’t, but also doesn’t eat away at mouthguard surfaces. It will even penetrate into small crevices where bacteria might be thriving and reproducing.

Clean the Case Too

Even if you take great care in cleaning your actual mouthguard, you could still be at risk if you ignore the case you store it in. The mouthguard spends far more time in the case than it ever does in your mouth, so if the case is full of germs, it will have lots of time to transfer these onto the mouthguard.

With the case, you can very easily use toothpaste and scrubbing because the case isn’t prone to wearing down like the mouthguard itself. There are many products easily made for this kind of cleaning.

Mouthguard Replacement

And finally, even with every cleaning precaution we’ve listed here, your mouthguard will eventually reach a place where it’s so dirty and worn down that it needs replacement. If you notice cracks large enough to cut your cheeks or gums, or even the formation of these cracks, it’s likely time to move on.

For more on cleaning your mouthguard, or to learn about any of our sports mouthguard products, speak to the staff at Damage Control Mouthguards today.