How Do I Clean and Store My Child's Mouth Guard?

Dental mouth guards can be beneficial for a child's dental health and development, helping to protect not just the teeth but also the gums, jaw, and other oral structures during risky activities. For patients of Apple Tree Pediatric Dentistry who play sports and engage in other physical activities, custom dental mouth guards are highly encouraged by our Lawrenceville, GA pediatric dentist Dr. Jeni Kong. As a parent, it's important to help your child care for their mouth guard appropriately to preserve its integrity over time and to discourage bad breath and other unwanted side effects of wearing a dirty mouth guard. Here, Dr. Jeni and our knowledgeable team outline helpful tips for pediatric dental mouth guard cleaning, care, and storage.

Do kids really need to wear mouth guards during sports?

Some parents wonder why dental mouth guards are recommended for children, especially those who still have baby teeth that will end up falling out. Aside from the physical pain, psychological trauma, treatment costs, and other downsides of sustaining an injury to the mouth or teeth, these injuries can also lead to dental and oral development problems down the line, like spacing issues and bite misalignment. To keep your child's teeth strong and healthy while avoiding the many other consequences of dental or oral injury, wearing a custom-made mouth guard during high-risk activities is recommended. These include playing contact sports or sports involving balls/bats/clubs/pucks, and others.

How do you clean a mouth guard?

At Apple Tree Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Jeni offers custom pediatric dental mouth guards manufactured from the highest quality materials to ensure maximum comfort, protection, and longevity. Depending on the material your child's mouth guard is made from, we will provide appropriate instructions on what to use to clean or soak the mouth guard, as well as other care guidelines. Generally speaking, cleaning and storing a dental mouth guard involves:

• Cleansing and brushing the mouth guard daily (or after each use) with the recommended products
• Rinsing the mouth guard right after each use if cleaning cannot be done immediately
• Deep cleaning the mouth guard weekly or as recommended
• Dry the mouth guard before storage
• Store the mouth guard in a dry, sealed container away from younger children and pets

Patients should also remember to clean their mouth guard storage case on a regular basis, which is one of the most commonly forgotten steps in dental mouth guard maintenance.

Can I wear my mouth guard if it hasn't been cleaned?

If your child forgets to clean their mouth between uses once in a while, try not to worry — but do help them establish a more consistent mouth guard cleaning routine using reminders, alarms, and other tools. Consistent, daily mouth guard cleaning can help their mouth guard last longer while also preventing bad breath, infections, bacteria growth, and other problems for a healthier, stronger smile they can feel confident about.

Protect their pearly whites with a custom kid's mouth guard in Lawrenceville, GA

There are few things as joyful as a child's smile, and one of our jobs as parents is to help protect and preserve those smiles through proper dental and oral care. If your child plays sports or engages in other activities that may increase their risk of dental or oral injury, a dental mouth guard is an important protective measure that can also prevent long-term issues requiring more extensive treatment. For more information about the benefits of mouth guards for kids, call our friendly team at Apple Tree Pediatric Dentistry with any questions you may have, or consider scheduling a consultation with our Lawrenceville, GA dedicated pediatric dentist Dr. Jeni Kong today.