Caring for a Night Guard
How to clean it, where to keep it, and how to make it last.
Plenty of kids and teens grind or clench their teeth at night — often without knowing it. A night guard is a thin custom shield that takes that wear instead of the teeth. It works only if it gets worn, so the goal is making it easy and comfortable enough that your child actually uses it.
Every morning
- Rinse it under cool water as soon as your child takes it out.
- Brush it gently with a soft toothbrush and a drop of dish soap — not toothpaste. Toothpaste is abrasive and will cloud and scratch the surface over time.
- Let it air-dry completely before it goes in the case. A damp guard in a closed case grows bacteria.
- Store it in its vented case, up high, away from pets. Dogs find these irresistible.
Hot water, a dishwasher, or a hot car will warp the plastic permanently. Once the fit is off, the guard has to be remade.
Every week
Soak it for 15 to 20 minutes in a denture-cleaning tablet dissolved in cool water, then rinse well. Skip mouthwash soaks — the alcohol makes the plastic brittle.
Bring it with you
Bring the night guard to every checkup. We will check the fit and look at the wear pattern, which tells us a lot about how the grinding is trending.
Call us if…
- The guard cracks, warps, or stops fitting
- It makes your child’s jaw or teeth sore rather than better
- Your child’s teeth are getting visibly shorter or more sensitive
- It has become uncomfortable enough that your child has stopped wearing it
Coastal Kids Dentistry & Orthodontics · (619) 562-5437 · coastalkidsdo.com/handouts/night-guard-care
Sources & standards
This guidance is aligned with the standards of care of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: AAPD Oral Health Policies & Recommendations