What Is The Best Way to Clean a Mouthguard?

The best way to clean a mouthguard is to rinse it in cool water right after each use, brush it gently with a soft toothbrush and a drop of mild soap, and let it air dry completely before it goes back in a vented case. Once a week, give it a deeper clean with a denture cleaning tablet or a short soak in diluted hydrogen peroxide. The one thing to avoid is heat, because hot water can warp the plastic and ruin the fit.

Why Does a Mouthguard Need Cleaning Every Day?

A mouthguard needs daily cleaning because it collects bacteria, saliva proteins, and plaque every single time you wear it. Researchers who tested the mouthguards of college football players found they harbored a range of microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts, and molds, and concluded that guards should be sanitized every day and replaced when they develop sharp or jagged edges.

That applies to night guards for grinding just as much as sports guards. If you clench or grind your teeth, your guard sits in your mouth for seven or eight hours straight, then often gets tossed on the nightstand still wet. Skipping the cleaning step causes worse problems than odor. A dirty guard can reintroduce bacteria to your mouth night after night, which works against everything your daily brushing and flossing accomplish. The study on athletic mouthguards is available through the National Institutes of Health if you want to see the details for yourself.

How Do You Clean a Mouthguard Every Day?

Daily mouthguard cleaning takes four steps: rinse, brush, dry, and store. The whole routine fits easily into the time it takes your coffee to brew.

• Rinse right away. As soon as the guard comes out, rinse it under cool running water. Saliva that dries on the surface is much harder to remove later.
• Brush gently with mild soap. Use a soft toothbrush and a small drop of dish soap or hand soap. Do not use toothpaste. It feels like the natural choice, but toothpaste is abrasive and leaves tiny scratches where bacteria settle in. Keeping a separate toothbrush for this job works well.
• Let it dry completely. Set the guard on a clean surface and give it 15 to 30 minutes to air dry. A guard stored damp grows bacteria. A dry one does not.
• Store it in a vented case. The American Dental Association recommends a sturdy container with vents so air can circulate. Keep the case somewhere outside the bathroom if you can. Shower steam and humidity, which East Tennessee has no shortage of in summer, work against you.

The American Dental Association’s MouthHealthy guide covers the same routine: rinse before and after each use, clean regularly in cool soapy water, and store the guard where it can dry.

How Often Should You Deep Clean a Mouthguard?

Deep clean your mouthguard once a week. Daily brushing handles the surface, but a weekly soak reaches the film and buildup that brushing misses.

You have a few good options for the soak, and all of them cost very little:

• Denture or retainer cleaning tablets. Dissolve one in cool water and soak the guard for the time listed on the package, usually 10 to 30 minutes. Research on sport mouthguards found that an effervescent cleaning tablet removed even more of the salivary proteins that bacteria cling to than a cold water rinse alone.
• Diluted hydrogen peroxide. Mix equal parts 3% hydrogen peroxide and cool water, soak for up to 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
• Diluted white vinegar. One part vinegar to three parts water, soaked 15 to 30 minutes, helps break down mineral deposits. Rinse well afterward so no taste lingers.

One correction worth calling out: use vinegar and hydrogen peroxide as separate soaks, never combined in one container. Mixing the two creates peracetic acid, a corrosive compound you do not want on something that goes in your mouth. If you want to use both, soak in one, rinse, then soak in the other.

While the guard soaks, wash the case with warm soapy water. A clean guard placed back into a dirty case picks the bacteria right back up. Plan on replacing the case itself every 6 to 12 months.

Daily vs. Weekly Cleaning at a Glance