Aftercare of your Night Guard

Use your night guard as your dentist has described to you. The aftercare is equally important to follow so as to prolong the usefulness of the appliance. Your daily routine should include cleaning your night guard. By following the complete instructions it should stay in shape longer.

Rinse immediately after wearing

Each time you wear your night guard you should rinse it with warm water as soon as you remove it from your mouth. This will remove debris and loosen any plaque that is stuck to the night guard.

Brush the night guard with your toothbrush

After rinsing, give your night guard a light brushing with your normal toothbrush. Some people prefer using a separate toothbrush just for their night guard, but it’s okay if you want to use the one you use on your teeth.

You don’t need to apply toothpaste to the brush. Toothpaste can be abrasive, it may scratch your night guard and cause it to accumulate debris and bacteria more quickly.

It is important to allow your guard to dry completely before storage. This will prevent rapid bacterial growth, bad odour and stain formation. Choose a clean, flat surface to allow your night guard to dry. Typically it should dry within 15-30 minutes.

Always store your night guard in a case

When you are not wearing your night guard it is important that you keep it stored in a case. Many people store their night guard in the bathroom, but over time the steam and humidity can cause the appliance to warp. We recommend that you keep the night guard stored in your bedroom or on your nightstand away from direct light or heat.

Deep clean your night guard weekly

Make a habit of deep cleaning your night guard at least once a week. This can be done several ways. The first is by an over-the-counter denture cleaner from your pharmacy. The second way is to use a mixture of mouthwash and water using a 50:50 ratio. Soak for about 30 minutes completely submerged and allow it to dry thoroughly on a clean flat surface.(Note: never leave your guard to soak for longer than 1 hour).

Keep your case clean

Cleaning your night guard becomes a wasted exercise if you place it back into storage in a dirty case. Clean your case every second day with dishwashing detergent and not into the dishwasher where it would melt! Again allow the case to fully dry out to stop bacterial growth.

Bring your night guard to your dental appointments

This will give us the opportunity to inspect your appliance for signs of wear and we can assess whether it still fits you properly.