"I love my custom night guards!! So comfortable to sleep in because they are not big and bulky!! My jaw is so much more relaxed and I find myself much less tense! Great purchase! Highly recommend!"
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Can you remember the first time you saw your night guard? If you can, you’ll recall how pristine it looked after ordering it from us. However, over time, you may have also noticed it turning yellow — a far cry from its original and clear semi-transparent hue.
Now that your night guard has turned yellow, you’ll likely have second thoughts about putting it back on before bed. What led to this discoloration? What do I do about a yellow night guard?
Read on to find out the answers and some oral health habits to keep your mouth and night guard clean and healthy.
Why Does My Night Guard Turn Yellow?
Your night guard turns yellow because of bacterial and plaque buildup that has gone uncleaned for a long time. Here’s how bacterial and plaque discolor your night guard:
Your night guard is similar to your teeth enamel. Like your teeth, your night guard is susceptible to bacteria, saliva, and food residue. Over time, the dirt that collects in your night guard accumulates and consolidates with the help of saliva.
As microbes and residue solidify, they take on a yellowish hue. Over time, the yellow discoloration becomes darker until it becomes noticeable.
By the time you notice your night guard’s yellowish discoloration, it will be challenging to return it to its pristine condition.
What Should I Do If My Night Guard Turns Yellow?
Indeed, it’s challenging to restore the clearness of your night guard. Nevertheless, it’s certainly possible. When your night guard turns yellow, the traditional way to clean it is with warm water, toothpaste, and a light-bristled brush.
Using warm water, rinse off any solid particles from your night guard. From here, apply some toothpaste to your night guard using a light-bristled toothbrush. Continue to brush your night guard until the yellowish discolorations fade. After that, rinse off the toothpaste using warm water.
Under no circumstances should you blow dry the night guard as the heat may warp it, nor should you leave it to dry in direct sunlight. Instead, leave your night guard to air-dry in an area that has good ventilation but is away from the sun.
You can also perform the same steps using soap instead of toothpaste. If you’re using soap, ensure that it’s not alcohol-based to protect your night guard from corrosion.
Another way to easily deep clean your night guard is to use the Remi Ultrasonic Mouth Guard Cleaning Device. Not only does this device clean and freshen your night guards, but it works equally as well on retainers or clear aligners. It also extends the life of night guards and helps to prevent future yellowing of your custom night guards.
Control Your Sugar Intake
Controlling your ingestion of sweets isn’t just good for your metabolism. Keeping your sugar intake in check also protects your teeth and night guard from plaque.
Plaque forms mainly because of residual carbohydrates on your teeth and night guard. By controlling your sugar intake, you’ll minimize bacterial adhesion on your night guard and teeth. This will result in your teeth staying white and your night guard remaining clear.
Key Takeaway: The Secret To Clean Teeth and Night Guards Lies in Prevention
It’s a cliche to say that prevention beats cure, but it’s true. If you want to protect your teeth and night guard from turning yellow, you need to dial in your oral health habits.
Oral health habits become easier to stick to with the right oral health products. If you’re looking for oral health cleaning products for your night guard, check out our Ultrasonic Mouth Guard Cleaning Device.
For everything else you need for your teeth, we’ve got your back. Visit us and choose from a variety of custom mouth night guards for teeth grinding and teeth-whitening accessories that can protect your smile.
