6 Top Tips for Successfully Cleaning Your Nightguard
Many people don’t realize that they clench or grind their teeth during sleep each night, which can lead to fatigue, physical pain, and oral health issues. The complaints are commonly caused by an abnormal bite, stress, anxiety, or TMD.
As a result, a dentist might provide you with a nightguard to protect your teeth from grinding and clenching. However, it is essential to keep it clean to maintain excellent dental hygiene. To do exactly that, read these six top tips for successfully cleaning your nightguard.
- Rinse with Cool, Clean Water
Once you wake up and take your nightguard out, you must immediately rinse it using cool, clean water. By doing so, you can quickly remove any excess saliva and plaque living on the surface, and it can prevent the accumulation of bacteria.
- Brush the Guard with Your Toothbrush
The next step should be to brush your nightguard gently using your toothbrush. Rather than using toothpaste, add a little cold water onto the brush head and scrub away at the guard. If you use toothpaste, you could potentially damage the instrument, as it could quickly degrade.
The tactic can help people to improve their oral hygiene, which should be done in conjunction with other preventative methods, which you can learn more about by reading this guide to a healthy smile.
- Don’t Forget to Air Dry
Before you store a nightguard away for the day, you must air dry it in a cool, clean location within your home. For example, you could place it on a fresh paper towel or a clean hand towel near your sink. It should take up to thirty minutes for the nightguard to completely dry.
- Safely Store Away Your Nightguard
A dentist will likely provide you with a storage case to store away your nightguard. By doing so, you can ensure it remains free from germs, and it will be clean once you use it again later that day. It can prevent you from digesting harmful bacteria that could make you feel sick and can damage your oral health.
- Regularly Wash the Case
In addition to cleaning the nightguard each day, you also must not forget to regularly wash your protective case. You should place it in warm, soapy water every few days, which can eradicate bacteria.
- Perform Routine Deep Cleaning
In addition to rinsing and brushing your nightguard each day, you also must regularly deep clean the instrument. Prevent bacterial growth from setting in by routinely cleaning the nightguard with a denture cleaner. For example, you will need to place a nightguard into a glass of water that contains a dissolvable denture-cleaning tablet. Alternatively, you could pour one cap of mouthwash into a glass of water.
Regardless of the option you choose, you should soak the nightguard for a minimum of thirty minutes in the glass. However, you must avoid soaking the guard for more than an hour to prevent damaging it. After thirty minutes, you ought to remove it from the water, air dry it and then store it away.
If you suspect you are grinding or clenching your teeth each night, you could benefit from sleeping with a nightguard. To protect your teeth, please book an appointment at our Woden dentist via our website or call us today on (02) 6281 2222.
