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How to Disinfect a Mouth Splint

Mouth splints, mouth guards, bite splints or retainers can be used to properly align teeth, prevent teeth grinding, prevent sport injuries and other uses. Athletes wear mouth guards during sporting events, while bite splints and retainers can be worn at night to align teeth or prevent teeth grinding. Mouth splints, over time, can become corroded and infected with bacteria. It is important to properly clean your mouth splint. A few household items or over-the-counter dental cleaners can be used to disinfect a mouth splint.

Things You'll Need

  • Small bowls
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Anti-bacterial soap
  • Water
  • Old toothbrush
  • Cleaning and disinfecting dental tablet
  • Glass or mug
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Instructions

  1. Rubbing Alcohol

    • 1

      Fill a small bowl with warm water.

    • 2

      Pour a small amount of anti-bacterial soap into the bowl. Stir the anti-bacterial soap in the water to create bubbles and diffuse throughout the water.

    • 3

      Insert the mouth guard into the water. Scrub the mouth guard with the old toothbrush as you would your teeth. Apply pressure to try to remove any gunk lining the mouth guard. In between scrubbing, submerge the mouth guard in the soapy water.

    • 4

      Rinse the soap off the mouth guard under clean running water.

    • 5

      Fill a small bowl with 1-to-1 solution of warm water and rubbing alcohol. Fill the bowl enough to submerge the mouth splint. Stir the water to diffuse the alcohol throughout.

    • 6

      Insert the mouth splint into the bowl of warm water and alcohol. Let mouth splint sit in bowl for 15 to 20 minutes--do not leave mouth splint in alcohol too long as this can damage the mouthpiece. Flip the mouth guard once or twice to ensure the alcohol is coating the entirety of the mouthpiece.

    • 7

      Remove mouth guard from the water and alcohol. Rinse thoroughly with clean water under the faucet.

    • 8

      Clean alcohol off of the mouth guard by scrubbing the mouthpiece with a toothbrush and toothpaste in a bowl of water. If any strange tastes occur from mouth splint, repeat this step.

    Dental Cleaning and Disinfectant Tablet

    • 9

      Purchase dental cleaning and disinfectant tablets. These tablets can be found at most pharmacies. A dental cleaning and disinfectant tablet should work for dentures, retainers, mouth guards or bite splints. Refer to dental cleaning and disinfectant tablet instructions for specific product use.

    • 10

      Scrub the mouth guard with an old toothbrush and toothpaste to remove any thick gunk on the outside of mouth guard.

    • 11

      Insert dental disinfectant and cleaning tablet into a glass of warm water large enough to fit your mouth splint. Allow the dental tablet to dissolve.

    • 12

      Insert mouth guard into the glass of water with the dissolved tablet. Ensure the entire mouth guard is fully submerged in water.

    • 13

      Soak mouth splint in water for 15 to 20 minutes or the amount specified by the cleaning tablet instructions.

    • 14

      Remove the mouth guard from the glass of water and rinse off thoroughly underneath clean running water.

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