How to Clean and Care for a Snoreguard

By Bridge Dental Laboratory · 8 October 2026

A snoreguard gets a harder life than most dental appliances. It is worn all night, every night, it sits in a warm damp mouth for seven or eight hours, and unlike a nightguard it usually has moving parts — connectors, hooks or hinges that hold the lower jaw in its advanced position. Looking after it is mostly simple habits, with a few things that are specific to the hardware.

The daily routine

Four steps, morning and night:

Rinse in cold water before and after each wear.
Brush it with a soft toothbrush — all surfaces, including around any connectors or hooks where debris collects.
Dry it thoroughly. A damp appliance shut in a box is how they start to smell.
Store it in its box when it is not in the mouth — not on a windowsill, not loose in a drawer.

What ruins a snoreguard

Hot water. The single most common way one is destroyed. Heat softens the acrylic, and on a mandibular advancement device that means losing the set jaw position the appliance was built to hold. Cold water only — and keep it away from radiators, car dashboards and direct sun.
Toothpaste. Mildly abrasive, so it leaves fine scratches that hold bacteria and cloud the surface. A soft brush and cold water is enough.
Eating or drinking while wearing it. Acids shorten the life of the material.
Levering it off one side. Seat and remove it with equal pressure on both sides. Twisting it off one side is what stresses and bends connectors and hooks.
Dropping it on a hard floor, and leaving it where a dog can find it.

Looking after the hardware

This is where a snoreguard differs from a plain nightguard, and the part most often neglected.

Silensor-SL — the flexible lateral connectors are the working part. Rinse around them, keep them clean, and handle them gently. Connectors are changeable, and we supply instructions for doing it.
MSi — built around titanium hooks designed to withstand heavy wear. Rinse debris out of the mechanism and dry it properly. Every component can be replaced, so a worn part doesn’t mean a new appliance.
Fused — a single piece with no hinges or connectors at all, which makes it the lowest-maintenance of the three. Normal daily cleaning is all it asks for.

Servicing

After the initial warranty period we recommend an appliance service — we clean it properly and adjust it where needed. It is worth doing for any of the three, but it matters most for the Silensor-SL, where a re-hinge can be included in the service if the connectors have had a lot of use.

Warranty periods differ by device and extend further on the MSi’s metal parts — see our warranty terms for what is covered.

When to get it looked at

Judge a snoreguard by condition rather than to a timescale. Worth having checked if it:

No longer seats securely, or feels loose
Has cracked, distorted or been through a hot wash
Has damaged, bent or worn connectors or hooks
Has stopped being comfortable, or the patient has quietly stopped wearing it

That last one is worth asking about directly. An appliance that has stopped holding the jaw in the prescribed position has stopped working — and a device left in a drawer helps nobody.

Made, serviced and repaired in our UK lab

We make mandibular advancement devices — MSi, Silensor-SL and fused — to prescription in our Christchurch lab, and we service and repair them too. For how the three compare and which suits which patient, see snoreguards explained; for general appliance care across the range, see our cleaning guide.

FAQ

Common questions

How do I clean a snoreguard?

Rinse it in cold water before and after each wear, brush it with a soft toothbrush, and dry it thoroughly before storing it in its box. Cold water and a soft brush only — never hot water, and never toothpaste.

Can I use toothpaste or hot water on a snoreguard?

No to both. Toothpaste is mildly abrasive and leaves fine scratches that trap bacteria, and hot water softens and distorts the acrylic — which on a mandibular advancement device means losing the set jaw position it was made to hold.

Can I use denture or retainer cleaning tablets?

Yes — Retainer Brite or a similar solution can be used as directed, and it is worth doing periodically to shift the film that builds up over time. Rinse the appliance thoroughly in cold water before wearing it again.

How do I look after the connectors or hooks?

Handle them gently and seat and remove the appliance using equal pressure on both sides rather than levering it off one side, which is what bends or stresses the hardware. Rinse around the connectors or hooks so debris doesn't build up in the mechanism, and dry them properly.

Does a snoreguard need servicing?

We recommend an appliance service after the initial warranty period — we clean it and adjust it where needed. Servicing matters most for the Silensor-SL, where a re-hinge can be included if required, though MSi and fused devices also benefit. Every component of the MSi can be replaced.

When should a snoreguard be replaced?

Judge it by condition rather than a set timescale. Have it looked at if it no longer seats securely, feels loose, has cracked or distorted, or if the connectors or hooks are damaged — an appliance that has stopped holding the jaw in the prescribed position has stopped doing its job.

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