Your night guard is intended for you to wear while you sleep to prevent nighttime grinding and clenching. Follow these instructions to keep your night guard clean and well-fitted:
- Make sure you brush and floss your teeth very well at night before inserting your night guard to prevent plaque and bacteria from being trapped under the guard.
- If your night guard is the thermaflex type, make sure you run it under warm water to soften it prior to insertion. Never attempt to insert it cold as it may break.
- When you wake up in the morning, brush your night guard with cool water.
- Do not allow your night guard to dry out, always keep it moist.
- You may prefer to soak your night guard in mouthwash, so it is fresh when you insert it at night.
- We recommend using Polident to help clean your night guard approximately once a week.
- Animals love chewing on night guards, make sure to store yours in its case to prevent this and to prevent it from being thrown out.
- If your appliance becomes chipped, broken or if your bite feels off, please set up an appointment for us to have a look at it. We may need to adjust or make a new one.
- Please bring your night guard with you if you are getting major dental work done that may change the fit of your appliance. Ask us if you are unsure.
- Periodically bring your night guard in with you, perhaps for your regular hygiene appointments, so that we may check the bite and fit for you.
- Everybody is different. Your night guard will wear depending on your clenching and grinding habits. Sometimes they can last for years!