Table of contents
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Understanding a Mouth Guard
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Types of Mouth Guards
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Importance of Keeping Your Mouth Guards Clean
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Tips For Cleaning Your Mouth Guard
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Rinse Before and After Use
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Brushing
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Cleaning with Baking Soda Solution
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Use Mouthwash
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Use Cleaning Tablets
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Proper Storage
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What to Avoid While Cleaning Mouth Guard?
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Order Cleaner + Whitener From ALIGNERCO
Your dental health is at the highest risk during the game if you are an athlete. Considering this, the progress in orthodontics has introduced mouth guards for your smile protection.
But wearing your mouthguard is not enough as it demands proper maintenance as well.
If a mouth guard is not properly cleaned, it leads to bacterial buildup and contributes to bad oral hygiene.
Keeping your mouth guard clean saves your investment by improving its longevity. If you are wondering how to keep your mouth guard clean, this blog is for you.
Understanding a Mouth Guard
A mouth guard is a dental device placed in the mouth to protect teeth against sports-related injuries. It is made of thermoplastic material that absorbs any pressure placed on the mouth and safeguards the teeth. The guard covers the teeth and soft tissues, ensuring their protection while you focus on your game.
Types of Mouth Guards
The following are the types of mouth guards offering different levels of protection:
1. Stock Mouth Guards
Stock mouth guards are over-the-counter dental gear that are easily available at the sports shop. As they are ready to wear, they offer average fitting and lack proper protection compared to custom-fit mouth guards. If you are looking for the least expensive option, use stock mouth guards during sports.
2. Boil and Bite Mouth Guards
Boil and bite mouth guards offer slightly more protection and customization than the stock mouth guard. If you opt for this type of mouth guard, keep in mind that you need to follow a complete procedure to wear them. You need to boil this mouth guard so that it softens. Once it is done, molding it according to your teeth is easier. Place it in the mouth and adjust it with your fingers and teeth. Hold it in your mouth and let it settle before you step into the rind or court.
3. Customized Mouth Guards
Customized mouth guards are designed according to the size of your mouth. These are manufactured under the supervision of a dentist with the help of your smile impressions.
They are slightly more expensive but fit your smile perfectly, covering your teeth and gums. It offers enhanced protection and stays in your mouth, while you focus on the game.
Importance of Keeping Your Mouth Guards Clean
Mouth guards are kept inside your mouth for a longer duration which can lead to dental plaques. This compromises your dental health by causing gum infections and bad odors.
To prevent this condition, spare time from your day and clean your mouth guards properly. With some easy and quick cleaning methods, you can improve the longevity of your dental gear and maintain oral hygiene as well.
Tips For Cleaning Your Mouth Guard
If you are looking for tips to clean your mouth guards, the following section will help you out:
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Rinse Before and After Use
It is important to put a clean dental product in your mouth when it comes to your oral health. Therefore, make sure to rinse your mouth guard under water before putting it in your mouth. It removes dust or debris present on your dental gear and helps improve your oral health.
Just rinsing it before wearing is not enough. When you take out your mouth guard, rinse it again to ensure it is cleaned and ready to be used again.
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Brushing
To ensure your dental product is properly cleaned, you can clean it with a brush as well. Take a soft-bristled toothbrush and gently brush it to remove accumulated plaques. This also helps in removing stains from your mouth guard.
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Cleaning with Baking Soda Solution
Baking soda is a natural cleaning agent that helps in removing stains and prevents bad odors. Take an equal amount of baking soda and water, form a paste, and gently scrub your mouth guard with it. You can also use a toothbrush for this. Once it is properly cleaned, rinse it under water and it is ready to be used again.
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Use Mouthwash
A mouthwash can act as a cleaning agent for your dental product. Take a cap full of mouthwash, mix it with water, and soak your mouth guard in it. Take it out after 30 minutes, let it dry, and place it in your mouth again.
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Use Cleaning Tablets
You can find cleaning tablets for your dental products. Dissolve them in water and make a cleaning solution. Dip your mouth guard for 20 to 30 minutes to properly clean it and take it out.
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Proper Storage
Mouth Guards kept in a plastic case for proper storage. When it comes to keeping your dental product safe, storing it well is one of the most important factors. Avoid placing it anywhere on the surface to prevent contact with the germs. After you clean your mouth guard, let it dry and place it in a storage case.
What to Avoid While Cleaning Mouth Guard?
Now that you are aware of all the cleaning tips, the following are some points you need to avoid:
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Hot Water
While you are cleaning your dental product, avoid using hot water as it can damage your product. Lukewarm water is perfect for cleaning your mouth guards.
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Harsh Chemicals
The cleaning agents may have harsh chemicals that can degrade the material of your dental gear. When you get a mouth guard cleaner, read its ingredients to make a safe decision.
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Abrasive Toothpaste
Avoid using abrasive toothpastes which can impact your mouth guard by causing scratches on the surface. This makes it lose its effectiveness.
Order Cleaner + Whitener From ALIGNERCO
As it is important to keep your mouth guard clean and safe, ALIGNERCO introduced a multi-purpose cleaner. The cleaner is specially designed to remove stains, plaques, and bacteria. The following is the way to clean your mouth guard:
1. Application
The first step you need to take to clean your mouth guard is to wash your hands. Once you are ready, apply the foam on your mouth guard directly. Make sure the foam covers the entire surface of your dental product.
2. Wear Your Mouth Guard
Once the foam is applied, place it directly in your mouth. This cleans your mouth guard and whitens your teeth. Spit out the extra foam from your mouth.
3. Rinsing
You can remove your mouth guard and rinse it if you want. This step is completely optional, as the foam dissipates on its own.
To summarize, keeping your dental products clean is key to maintaining oral hygiene. If you are an athlete, wearing a mouth guard plays a crucial role. You might not want to damage your perfectly straight smile due to a hard blow.
If a mouth guard is keeping your smile protected, it is crucial to keep it safe as well.
Opt for different methods of cleaning your mouth guard and improve the longevity of your mouth guard. Invest in Alignerco’s high-quality cleaner + whitener and keep your dental guard clean.
