Whether you wear a nightguard to stop clenching and grinding, a clear retainer to prevent movement after orthodontic work, or a denture to replace missing teeth, it’s important to know how to take care of your appliance.
Although we will go over care instructions at your delivery appointment, we understand its a lot of information to take in, especially if this is your first dental appliance.
This page will go over the different instructions for appliances we offer in-office. Of course, if you have a specific question and don’t find the answer here, please give us a call and we’d be happy to go over them with you.
Nightguard
(occlusal guard)
It is important to complete your entire nighttime homecare routine before putting in your nightguard as your nightguard may restrict saliva flow between your teeth. We will always encourage our patients to brush and floss before bed, but even more so while wearing a nightguard or any nightly appliance as saliva flow can be reduced, allowing bacteria to flourish in between your teeth leading to dental cavities.
When you take your nightguard out in the morning, rinse it off in the sink and set it in its designated case (which we provide at the delivery appointment), setting it upside down so the water can drain out (as shown in picture above).
At your nightguard delivery appointment, you should have been given a special two-sided brush to keep it clean. Ideally, you should brush your nightguard after every use. Our saliva has minerals and over time, it can make your nightguard look cloudy or yellowish. Gently brushing the inside of your nightguard after every other use can help reduce that cloudiness and keep it looking clean. You don’t need to brush too aggressively, just gently with lukewarm water should suffice.
Once or twice a week, you can add anti-bacterial soap (like Dial) to your routine.
Do not use toothpaste to brush your nightguard as most toothpastes have micro-abrasive ingredients which are good for brushing your teeth but will just scratch your nightguard and give it a cloudy appearance over time. Likewise, do not use your regular toothbrush to keep your nightguard clean. The brush you were given is specifically made with coarse, rounded bristles to clean nightguards without scratching them whereas your toothbrush likely has softer bristles that work better getting in between your teeth but will only scratch your nightguard rather than clean it. On top of that, if you are cleaning your nightguard with soap, using soap on your regular toothbrush is not going to taste good next time you need to brush your teeth. Just use the provided nightguard cleaning brush as instructed.
The type of nightguard we offer is made of a dual-layered material meaning the outside layer is harder while the inside layer is a little softer. Because of this, soaking your nightguard is highly discouraged as over time, those two layers will separate and can damage your appliance. Soaking it in mouthwash is not going to do anything to keep it clean either, all that will change is the color of your nightguard itself. The best way to keep it clean is brushing it regularly with the provided cleaning brush, using anti-bacterial soap, and letting it air dry as directed above.
You can also bring it in with you when you come in for dental cleanings and we will clean it in our office.
The material your nightguard is made out of is temperature sensitive. Do not leave it in a hot car, microwave it, run it through the dishwasher, or try boiling it as all of these things will warp your nightguard and it will no longer fit properly.
If you have any issues with how it fits, please contact us to schedule an appointment so we can adjust it.
Because your nightguard is custom made for your teeth, you might feel a little bit of pressure when you first put it in but you should get used to it after a couple of minutes. The same can be said when you take it out in the morning. Your teeth might feel a little “off” for a couple of minutes but they should go back to normal relatively quickly. Think of it like putting on a new pair of shoes, it might feel tight for a short amount of time before you get used to wearing them and afterwards, your feet will feel different once you take them off.
If you have one or two teeth that, after 10 minutes, still feel off or even a little achy after wearing your nightguard, give us a call so we can evaluate and possibly adjust the fit.
Over time, your nightguard will become easier to put in and take out. If you have any issues with wearing it, please call to make an appointment so we can evaluate how to improve the fit.
Keep your nightguard away from any pets! Pets love to chew on things that smell like their owners; shoes, socks, towels, and especially nightguards. Make sure your nightguard is safe either in its case, in a drawer, or another spot they can’t get to.
As mentioned previously, try to bring your nightguard with you when you come in for your dental cleanings. Not only will we clean it for you while you’re here, we also want to make sure it’s still fitting correctly, you’re not having any issues while wearing it, you’re grinding it evenly and so that we may answer any questions you have.
The purpose of the nightguard is to protect your teeth and that only happens if you wear it! If you have any issues with caring for your nightguard or with how it fits, please give us a call so we can evaluate it.
Partial or Full Dentures
Although there are a number of different materials available for partial or full dentures, their care instructions are relatively the same and are easy to follow along.
It is important to take your partial or denture out at the end of the day. This allows your gums time to relax, allows saliva to flow everywhere in your mouth, and reduces the risk of injuring yourself or breaking your denture while you’re sleeping.
When you are finished wearing your denture, rinse it thoroughly with lukewarm water, removing any food debris or staining from around the teeth and pink gum area of the appliance with the special brush provided to you by our office If additional soaking is required, you may use denture cleaning tablets. Follow the instructions on the box for the tablets or dissolve one tablet in a glass of lukewarm water before letting your denture soak for approx 5 minutes. Let your denture air dry overnight, do not soak it long-term.
Do not soak your denture in mouthwash as it will do nothing to aid in the cleanliness of your appliance. The teeth in your denture are made of an acrylic material and they may change to the color of your mouthwash if left for a prolonged period. Simply use the provided denture cleaning brush and brush your denture until no food or stain remains.
If you use a denture fixing paste (such as Fixo-Dent or Poligrip), make sure the fixing paste is thoroughly removed from your denture at the end of each night. Do not put new layers of denture paste on top of old layers as this can harbor bacteria and is not good for you or your denture.
If your denture is not fitting right, if you are biting one area first, it’s putting too much pressure on your remaining teeth, it’s loose or is rocking when you eat or talk, give us a call so we can evaluate your denture and possibly adjust it.
If you were given a temporary partial for a front tooth (also referred to as a “party tooth”), it is important to not eat with it in as there is a risk of swallowing or breaking your partial. If you need to take your partial out to eat, make sure you have a case or somewhere safe to place it in while not in use as these appliances can easily be lost, broken, or discarded, especially while eating out at a restaurant.
Clear Orthodontic Retainer
It is important to complete your entire homecare routine before putting in your clear retainer as your retainer may restrict saliva flow between your teeth. We will always encourage our patients to brush and floss before bed, but even more so while wearing a retainer (or any nightly appliance) as saliva flow can be reduced, allowing bacteria to flourish in between your teeth leading to dental cavities.
If you have been instructed to wear your retainer throughout the day, remember to take out your retainer prior to eating or drinking anything besides water. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can damage your retainer, causing cracks in the material and preventing a proper fit. It’s important to keep track of where your retainer is while you’re not wearing it. Make sure to bring your retainer case with you so you have a safe spot to store it while not in use. Leaving your retainer on a plate or on a napkin can result in accidental disposal of your retainer and no one wants to go dumpster diving to find their missing appliance!
When you take your retainer out after nightly use, rinse it off in the sink and set it in its designated case (which we provide at the delivery appointment), setting it upside down so the water can drain out (see example below).
At your retainer delivery appointment, you should have been given a special two-sided brush to keep it clean. Ideally, you should brush your retainer after every use. Our saliva has minerals and over time, it can make your retainer look cloudy or dirty. Gently brushing the inside of your retainer after every other use can help reduce that cloudiness and keep it looking clean. You don’t need to brush too aggressively, just gently with lukewarm water should suffice.
Once or twice a week, you can add anti-bacterial soap (like Dial) to your routine.
Do not use toothpaste to brush your retainer as most toothpastes have micro-abrasive ingredients which are good for brushing your teeth but will just scratch your retainer and give it a cloudy appearance over time. Likewise, do not use your regular toothbrush to keep your retainer clean. The brush you were given is specifically made with coarse, rounded bristles to clean retainers and other oral appliances without scratching them whereas your toothbrush likely has softer bristles that work better getting in between your teeth but will only scratch your retainer rather than clean it. On top of that, if you are cleaning your retainer with soap, using soap on your regular toothbrush is not going to taste good next time you need to brush your teeth. Just use the provided appliance cleaning brush as instructed.
There is no need for any additional cleaning equipment, just brush and rinse your retainer and let us know if you have any questions or concerns regarding homecare.
The material your retainer is made out of is temperature sensitive. Do not leave it in a hot car, microwave it, run it through the dishwasher, or try boiling it as all of these things will warp your retainer and it will no longer fit properly.
If you have any issues with how it fits, please contact us to schedule an appointment so we can adjust it.
Because your retainer is custom made for your teeth and fabricated to prevent your teeth from shifting, you might feel a little bit of pressure when you first put it in but you should get used to it after a couple of minutes. The same can be said when you take it out in the morning. Your teeth might feel a little “off” for a couple of minutes but they should go back to normal relatively quickly. Think of it like putting on a new pair of shoes, it might feel tight for a short amount of time before you get used to wearing them and afterwards, your feet will feel different once you take them off.
If you have one or two teeth that, after 10 minutes, still feel off or even a little achy after wearing your nightguard, give us a call so we can evaluate and possibly adjust the fit.
Over time, your retainer will become easier to put in and take out. If you have any issues with wearing it, please call to make an appointment so we can evaluate how to improve the fit.
Keep your retainer away from any pets! Pets love to chew on things that smell like their owners; shoes, socks, towels, and especially nightguards. Make sure your retainer is safe either in its case, in a drawer, or another spot they can’t get to while you’re not wearing it.
The purpose of the retainer is to protect your teeth and prevent movement, that only happens if you wear it! If you have any issues with caring for your retainer or with how it fits, please give us a call so we can evaluate it.
For clear retainers with fake teeth (also referred to as a “party tooth”) while we await healing, the care instructions are the same as a regular retainer. Just make sure not to bend or twist your retainer while cleaning as it could result in the fake tooth becoming loose and no longer fitting the retainer.