Dental Night Guard Post-Insertion Instructions

What You Should Do After Receiving Your Custom Fitted Dental Night Guard

While night guards won’t prevent these habits, they do offer a protective layer that cushions your teeth against the wear and tear that otherwise result from grinding or clenching. After receiving your night guards, it is important to follow these post-visit instructions to ensure a comfortable experience.

If you have not had your night guard fabrication appointment yet, please read our pre-visit instructions.

When And How To Wear Your Night Guard

• You should wear your dental night guard at night to mitigate any damage to your teeth from night time bruxism and clenching. However, you can also wear your night guard during the day if you feel the need to clench or grind your teeth.
• If you feel the night guard is too tight, you can soak the night guard in warm water. The material is thermoplastic, and will slightly soften for a more comfortable fit.

Oral Hygiene

• Keeping Your Dental Night Guard Clean: To keep your night guard free of biofilm accumulation, we recommend that you clean it using an ultrasonic cleaner, such as the Debatlog Ultrasonic Cleaner in a Polident Daily Denture Cleaner solution.
• Brush At Least Twice A Day: Conventional wisdom says that you should brush at least twice a day; once in the morning and once before you go to bed. Two times a day is a good rule of thumb. But ideally, you should brush right after a meal. This is to maximize the amount of time your teeth stay clean between meals.
• When You Cannot Brush Your Teeth, Rinse With Water Or Mouthwash: It is sometimes not practical to be brushing after every meal. You may be busy at work or at school during your day and cannot find time to brush or floss. If this is the case, at least rinse with water or mouthwash to get as much food debris and taste out of your mouth. One brand that we highly recommend is Colgate Total 12HR Pro-Shield CPC Mouthwash.
• Consider Upgrading Your Toothbrush: Ensure you are using a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean your teeth, as they are gentler on enamel and less likely to cause damage or irritation to gum tissue. One brand of toothbrush that we highly recommend is the Curaprox CS5460 Ultra Soft Swiss Toothbrush. Also consider upgrading to an electric toothbrush, which can be more effective at removing plaque and bacteria on teeth and gums. One brand of electric toothbrush that we highly recommend is the Philips Sonicare Protectiveclean 6100.
• Floss Daily: Flossing is critical to remove plaque and food particles that may accumulate around teeth and gums. Ideally you should be flossing every time you brush, but once a day is the bare minimum. We recommend GUM ButlerWeave Dental Floss. If you have difficulty using regular string floss, consider using dental flossers (such as Sunstar 888JC GUM Advanced Care Flossers) or interdental brushes (GUM Proxabrush) to clean the space between your teeth.
• Buy A Water Flosser: We highly recommend you purchase a Water Flosser and to use it daily in addition to regular flossing; the Water Flosser will flush out debris missed by floss and toothbrush. Ideally you should be water flossing every time you brush, but once a day is the bare minimum. One brand that we highly recommend is the Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser 
• Use An All-Encompassing Antibacterial Mouthwash Daily: Rinse your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash specially formulated for cavity prevention, gum care and fresh breath daily. Ideally you should be rinsing with mouthwash every time you brush, but once a day is the bare minimum. One brand that we highly recommend is Colgate Total 12HR Pro-Shield CPC Mouthwash.
• Use An All-Encompassing Toothpaste: Be sure to use a toothpaste that has fluoride to prevent cavities and promote gum health. One brand that we highly recommend is the Colgate Total Advanced Professional Clean Toothpaste.

Adjusting To Your Night Guard Can Take Time

• There is a learning curve to wearing a dental night guard for the first time. It may take a few days to get used to wearing it at night. The night guard should be comfortable and snug to wear. However, if you continue to experience any gum or tooth sensitivity or discomfort, contact us for an adjustment.
• One trick that may help you adjust to wearing your night guard more quickly is to practice putting it in for short periods of time during the day. Wearing the night guard for short intervals as you go about your daily routine can help you ease into using it for entire nights at a time.

How Often Do I Have To Replace My Night Guard?

• How often you have to replace your dental night guard will depend on how much clenching or grinding you experience. Every person is different; some people need it replaced once a year, others every few years. Heavy wear over time will cause holes and cracks in the night guard material. If this happens, it is time to have a new night guard made.

Have Questions?

• If you have any additional questions or concerns about your dental night guard, please contact us.