How to Boil a Mouthpiece

Mouthpieces are used in most contact sports, such as football, to protect the athletes' teeth. They are made from a variety of different materials, the most common being types of plastic and rubber. Athletic mouthpieces can be molded to fit perfectly to any person's mouth. They are prepared by boiling them in water, which softens the material, making it easy to mold to your teeth. Once the material cools, it hardens and keeps its shape.

Things You'll Need

• Pot
• Water
• Cup

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Instructions

• 1

  Fill a small pot with water and set it on the stove at high heat. Wait for the water to come to a boil.

• 2

  Fill a cup with cold water and set it near the stove. The cup must be large enough that the mouthpiece can fit inside it.

• 3

  Grab the strap that is attached to the mouthpiece. Carefully dip the mouthpiece in the boiling water for 30 seconds. You can wear dish washing gloves to protect your hands if necessary.

• 4

  Dip the mouthpiece in the cold water immediately after taking it out of the boiling water. Do not hold the mouthpiece in the cold water any longer than one second.

• 5

  Put your top teeth in the mouth piece. Use your fingers to form the mouth piece around your teeth and gums.

• 6

  Clamp your teeth gently to form impressions on the underside of the mouthpiece. Do not bite so hard that you tear a hole in the mouthpiece.

• 7

  Put the mouthpiece back in boiling water for 10 seconds and repeat the process if you need to make adjustments.