Clean a mouth guard by rinsing it in cool water after every use, brushing with a soft toothbrush and mild soap, and air drying it.
I’m Dr. Gregory Mark, and I look at a lot of night guards and snore guards in my Forest Hills office. The ones in the worst shape usually belong to people who rinse every morning and never pick up a brush.
| Cleaning method | Does it work | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Cool water, mild soap, soft toothbrush | Yes, after every use | The routine the American Dental Association and Cleveland Clinic both describe |
| Water rinse only | Falls short | Rinsing removed 60% to 70% of bacteria in one study, and brushing removed 98% |
| Toothpaste | Accepted | Check the care sheet for a custom guard first |
| Cleanser tablet labelled for mouth guards | Yes | Follow the label, which is 3 to 5 minutes for one common brand |
| Hot water, boiling, or a dishwasher | Skip it | Heat warps the fit |
| Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one container | Never | The mixture forms peracetic acid |
How do you clean a mouth guard every day?
A mouth guard gets a cool rinse, a gentle brushing with mild soap, a second rinse, and time to air dry after every use. “Every use” means each morning for a night guard and each practice or game for a sports mouthguard.
- Rinse the guard under cool water as soon as it comes out of your mouth.
- Brush every surface with a soft toothbrush and a little mild soap.
- Rinse the soap off with cool water.
- Set the guard on a clean surface and let it air dry.
- Put the dry guard in a sturdy case with vents.
The American Dental Association’s care advice is to clean a mouthguard regularly in cool, soapy water and rinse it thoroughly. Cleveland Clinic gives patients the same steps and adds the air drying.
What can I use to clean my mouthguard?
Mild soap, cool water, and a soft toothbrush clean a mouthguard well enough for daily use. A cleanser tablet labelled for mouth guards handles the occasional soak. Hot water, a dishwasher, and any product without mouth guard directions on its label stay off the list.
Can you clean a mouth guard with toothpaste?
Toothpaste is an accepted way to clean a mouthguard, and the American Dental Association’s care advice includes brushing with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Custom guards are the exception to check. Some dental labs tell patients to skip toothpaste on their materials, so read the care sheet that came with a custom night guard or snore guard and follow it.
How should you store a mouth guard?
Store a mouth guard dry, in a sturdy container with vents, away from heat and pets. Vents let the guard dry and keep bacteria from growing, according to the ADA. Sunlight and hot water can warp the plastic. Dogs treat mouthguards as chew toys, so a nightstand drawer beats the top of the nightstand.
Is rinsing a mouth guard with water enough?
Rinsing a mouth guard with water leaves a large share of the bacteria on it. A 2025 study of sports mouthguards worn by young football players found that water rinsing removed only 60% to 70% of bacteria, while a toothbrush and toothpaste removed 98%. The study was small, with ten players aged 11 to 12, and the gap is still hard to ignore.
A greasy frying pan held under a cold tap comes out looking rinsed and still feels slick. The film on a mouth guard behaves the same way. Bacteria on the surface hold together in a sticky layer called biofilm, and running water slides over that layer. Bristles break it up.
Patients who rinse and skip the brush are usually surprised when I show them the film, because the guard looked clean to them.
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How do you deep clean a mouth guard?
Deep clean a mouth guard by soaking it in a cleanser tablet made for guards and retainers, for the time printed on the label. Polident Pro Guard & Retainer is one example. Its directions call for one tablet in “very warm (not hot) water” and a soak of 3 to 5 minutes, followed by a gentle brushing and a thorough rinse under running water.
Set a timer and stay inside the label time. The manufacturer tested that soak on guard materials, and a longer one has no such testing behind it.
Custom guards need one extra check. Some dental labs exclude cleanser tablets for their materials, so the care sheet from your dentist outranks the box.
Can I use hydrogen peroxide to clean my night guard, and if so, how?
Hydrogen peroxide has no tested home recipe for night guards that I can point you to. The soak is popular online, and the American Dental Association’s mouthguard care advice leaves it out. I send patients to a cleanser with mouth guard directions on the label, and I ask them to check any care sheet that came with a custom guard.
Can you clean a mouth guard with vinegar?
Vinegar is a common home soak for mouth guards, and it comes with one firm rule. Vinegar mixed in the same container with hydrogen peroxide forms peracetic acid, which is corrosive in high concentrations and can irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Some online guides suggest combining the two. Keep them apart.
Can I boil my mouthguard to clean it?
Boiling a mouthguard to clean it can ruin the fit. Cleveland Clinic warns that heat can cause a mouth guard to warp and change shape, and the ADA’s advice is never to leave one in the sun or in hot water. A dishwasher is hot water with detergent added, so the same warning covers it.
A custom guard works because it matches your teeth closely. Once the plastic warps, the match is gone, and the usual fix is a new guard.
Boil-and-bite sports mouthguards are the one place hot water belongs. The guard is softened once, at the first fitting, following the manufacturer’s instructions, and that single step shapes it to your teeth.
Does cleaning differ for a night guard, a sports mouthguard, and a snore guard?
The cleaning method is the same for all three, and the schedule changes with how each one is worn.
A night guard for teeth grinding sits against your teeth for hours every night, so the morning brushing matters most. Clean it as soon as it comes out, while the saliva on it is still wet.
A sports mouthguard goes from mouth to hand to gym bag. Clean it after every practice and every game, and keep it in its case in between. An athlete who stops wearing a guard because it smells is one hit away from reading about what to do if you chip a tooth.
A snore guard or sleep apnea mouth guard comes with care instructions from the dentist who fitted it, and those instructions come first. Clean the appliance every day and let it dry fully between nights.
Bring any of the three to your checkup. The wear pattern on a guard shows me how hard you grind and where, which your teeth can no longer tell me once the guard is taking the force.
Not sure your guard is still doing its job?
Bring it to your next cleaning at Forest Hills Dental. I’ll check the fit and the wear while you’re in the chair.
Why does my mouth guard smell or turn yellow?
A mouth guard smells or yellows when film builds up on it faster than cleaning removes it, and a worn surface speeds that up. In the 2025 study of young athletes, used mouthguards were far rougher than new ones and carried roughly eight times the bacterial colonisation. Scratches and bite marks give bacteria a place to hold on.
Storage cases in that study grew bacteria too. A clean guard dropped into a dirty case picks the problem right back up, so wash the case with soap and water and let it dry.
How do I get the yellow out of my mouth guard?
Start with a full brushing and a soak in a cleanser tablet labelled for mouth guards. Yellowing that lifts was surface buildup. Yellowing that stays after a proper clean is in the material, and harder scrubbing will not reach it. Bring a stained guard to your dentist and leave the bleach and the boiling water alone.
When should you replace a mouth guard instead of cleaning it?
Replace a mouth guard when it shows wear, damage, or a loose fit, because cleaning cannot repair any of those. The ADA’s standard is to replace a mouthguard immediately if it shows signs of wear, is damaged, or fits poorly. Children and teens go through them faster because their mouths are still growing.
Cleveland Clinic puts the lifespan of a custom guard at several years with proper care, and says store-bought guards may need replacing a few times a year. I add one more sign to the list, which is a smell that keeps coming back after a thorough clean.
Replacing a custom guard is simpler than getting the first one. We take impressions with a 3D scanning wand, and the scan stays in your file. A new guard can be made from that scan as long as your teeth have not changed.
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TL;DR
- Clean a mouth guard after every use with cool water, mild soap, and a soft toothbrush, then let it air dry.
- Water alone removed 60% to 70% of bacteria in one 2025 study, and brushing removed 98%.
- Keep guards away from hot water, boiling, dishwashers, and direct sun, since heat warps the fit.
- Never put vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in the same container.
- Replace a guard that is worn, damaged, or loose, or that still smells after a thorough clean.
A guard that still smells after a deep clean is ready for a look.
Bring it in. I’ll tell you if the fix is a better routine or a new guard.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I clean my mouth guard?
Clean a mouth guard after every use. For a night guard, that means every morning. For a sports mouthguard, it means after every practice and game. The American Dental Association and Cleveland Clinic both build their care advice around cleaning at each use, with the guard left to dry afterward.
Can I clean a mouth guard with baking soda?
Baking soda does not appear in the mouthguard care advice from the American Dental Association or Cleveland Clinic. Both describe cool water and soap with a brush. I’d stay with that routine, and I’d ask the dentist or lab that made a custom guard about any powder or paste.
How do I clean the mouth guard case?
Wash the case with soap and water, rinse it, and let it dry completely with the lid open. A 2025 study of young athletes’ mouthguards found bacteria growing in the storage cases as well as on the guards. Choose a sturdy case with vents, as the ADA advises, so air can reach the guard.
Should I bring my mouth guard to the dentist?
Bring your mouth guard to every dental checkup. The American Dental Association recommends having it evaluated at regular visits, and notes that a dentist may be able to give it a thorough cleaning. At Forest Hills Dental, I check the fit, the wear pattern, and any cracks that are easy to miss at home.