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Why Is My Night Guard Turning Yellow- How to Clean Night Guard?
A Night Guard is a valuable tool for people who have grinding teeth problems. When you use a night guard or mouthguard for a more extended period, it changes its color. You may have this question in mind, “Why is my night guard turning yellow?” We have the answer and a perfect solution for the yellow night guard.
The Night Guard or Mouth Guard keeps you safe from grinding of teeth while you are sleeping. It is like a protection guard for grinding, clenching, and gnashing of teeth. The grinding of teeth happens during sleep, so you are entirely unaware; that’s why you should wear a Mouthguard on your teeth.
What is Dental Night Guard or Mouth Guard?
A Night Guard is a mouth guard for your teeth to save you from the nighttime grinding of teeth. The teeth grinding at night or Bruxism may cause you a headache, jaw pain, and damaged teeth. The Night Guard prevents all these issues and lets you breathe and talk naturally.
Read Also:- Best Electric Toothbrush For Receding Gums
Why Is My Night Guard Turning Yellow?
When you buy a new night guard, it is shining in white or transparent color. But the color of the night card changes as time passes. After several months of regular usage, your night guard becomes yellow. The reason behind your night guard turning yellow is that it stays for hours in your mouth.
Your mouth has two common elements, which are saliva and bacteria. Some bacteria are suitable for your mouth, but they may not be good enough for your night guard. As the night guard comes directly in contact with your saliva and bacteria, it gradually turns yellow.
Night Guard: Cleaning and Maintenance
Mouth Guard is designed to fit your teeth and protect you from teeth grinding. But you need to understand about the cleaning and maintenance of night guard. If you want to use your night guard hygienically, you have to keep it clean for long-term use.
According to dentists’ recommendation, you should clean your night guard between two uses. It means you need to clean the night guard almost every day. The cleaning process is straightforward, easy, and it does not take much time, so you can do it quickly in the morning to use the night guard again at night.
How to Clean My Night Guard
The Night Guard requires regular cleaning daily. Yes, it would help if you cleaned your Mouthguard every day as you wear it every day. To clean the night guard, there are four simple steps you should follow. Here we provide the step by step process for cleaning the night guard as under:
01. Rinse the Night Guard After Each Use
You wear the night guard at night and remove the same in the morning. So the best time to clean your night guard is in the morning. You need to spend a few minutes every morning to keep your night guard clean for a longer time.
You should use warm water to rinse your night guard. The lukewarm water is good for the night guard as it can remove the saliva and bacteria as quickly as you pour it. The warm water will also remove plaque and food debris stuck on the night guard.
02. Rub the Night Guard with A Toothbrush
After rinsing the night guard with warm water, you need to rub & clean it with a toothbrush. Some people use a separate toothbrush for cleaning night guard, and some don’t. It is up to you which toothbrush you want to use to rub your night guard.
When you clean the night guard with a toothbrush, make sure the toothbrush is dry. Please do not apply any toothpaste on the toothbrush; rub it thoroughly for 4 to 5 minutes. It would help if you believed this task is finished when the night guard is entirely free from stains, plaque, and food debris.
03. Leave the Night Guard to Let It Dry
When your night guard is completely clean, you have to let it dry itself. This is a natural process that may take from 15 to 30 minutes based on the climate. It would be best if you placed the night guard on a hard surface such where water cannot touch it; otherwise, it won’t dry at all.
It would be best to put the night guard in a safe place where it is not affected by any heat or dust. The night guard will take a few minutes to completely dry, and you have to wait for it.
04. Place the Night Guard into Its Case
It would be best if you store your night guard in its storage case. The best place to keep the night guard safe is its container case. Your bathroom climate is very humid, and it is not safe for the night guard to stay there uncovered. Therefore we request you to put it into its case or box.
The New Night Guard comes with its container box or case. If you have a nightguard without a case, you should buy a new case to store your night guard. Please note that you should place the night guard into its case only when it is completely dried.
Deep Clean Night Guard Once In A Week
It would be best to clean your night guard every day in the morning, but it is light cleaning. If you want to use the night guard for a more extended period, you must deep clean it one time a week. To clean your night guard deeply, you can use any of the following liquid solutions:
- Denture Cleaner
- Mouthwash
- Baking Soda (with water)
- Vinegar
- Soapy Water
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Any liquid recommended by your dentist
It would help if you used any of the above-given solutions with water to clean your night guard. Just fill one small bowl or container with the liquid solution (e.g., Denture Cleaner) and soak the night guard into the bowl. Leave the night guard alone for 20 to 30 minutes into the bowl.
Please note that the night guard must not be inside the liquid solution for more than 30 minutes. Get the night guard out from the bowl, wash it with normal water, and leave it to dry out.
When Should I Replace My Night Guard?
A Night Guard comes with a longer usage life. It depends upon the type of night guard and also the user. If you use the night guard in an ideal way, it will last for one to two years. Thus, it is recommended for every user to change their night guard after two years of regular usage.
When your night guard becomes completely yellow, it shows that it requires cleaning. In case the night guard appears yellow after proper (deep) cleaning, then you should understand that it’s time to replace that old night guard with a new one.
In this way, you understand how and why your night guard is turning yellow and when you should replace it with a new night guard.
For more information, please head to www.amazon.com/night-guard.
I’m a General Dental Practitioner from Belgium living in the USA. I work Biotech Dental with my 20+ years of experience working in the dental industry and dealing with 1000’s patients, I hope to inform you and help you with my knowledge and the importance of dental hygiene.
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