Mouthguards are commonly used in contact sports in order to protect the teeth, gums and tongue from injury. According to the American Dental Association, there are more than 200,000 mouth injuries prevented in high school and college sports alone through the use of mouthguards. Mouthguards can be bought in stores or customised through a trip to your dentist. Over time, your mouthguard may develop a funny taste due to overuse. You may also dislike the taste of the rubber or plastic material used in making a mouthguard. There are things you can do in order to make your mouthguard taste good.

  • Mouthguards are commonly used in contact sports in order to protect the teeth, gums and tongue from injury.

Brush your mouthguard. Use a toothbrush and toothpaste to cleanse your mouthguard. Hold the mouthguard in one hand and brush with the other. Brush it just like you would brush your teeth.

Rinse your mouthguard. Place your mouthguard over your teeth and rinse with mouthwash. Gargle the mouthwash for 30 seconds to leave a minty taste on your mouthguard.

  • Place your mouthguard over your teeth and rinse with mouthwash.

Soak your mouthguard overnight in a denture soak. Denture soaks are designed to cleanse and remove odours from dentures but can also be used on mouthguards and other dental devices. Fill a bowl with water and drop in a tap of the denture soak. Allow the soak to dissolve and then place your mouthguard in the water overnight. Remove in the morning and pat dry with a towel.

Take your mouthguard to the dentist with you. Ask your dentist if they can clean it for you. Dentists have strong cleaning pastes and rinses that are not available in stores.

TIP

If you are looking for a quick fix for a bad tasting mouthguard, chew a few pieces of mint gum. This will leave a mint taste in your mouth which can help to mask the bad taste. Remove the gum before inserting your mouthguard.