How to Clean and Care for a Sports Mouthguard

By Bridge Dental Laboratory · 30 September 2026

A custom gumshield spends most of its life in a kit bag, which is close to the worst place for it — damp, warm, and usually crushed under a pair of boots. A few simple habits keep one clean, in shape and protecting properly for far longer.

Clean it straight after playing

The single most useful habit is cleaning it as soon as it comes out, while nothing has had a chance to dry on:

Rinse it under cool running water.
Brush it gently with a soft toothbrush and cool water. A little mild, unperfumed soap is fine. Do all the surfaces, then rinse.
Dry it properly before it goes away — bacteria and mould need moisture, and a damp guard in a closed case is the usual reason one starts to smell.

Rinsing it again before you put it in next time is a good habit too.

What ruins a gumshield

Most damage is accidental, and nearly all of it is avoidable:

Hot water, a hot car, a radiator or direct sun. Custom gumshields are made from EVA, which softens with heat — this is the fastest way to distort the fit permanently. Cool water only.
Toothpaste. Mildly abrasive, so it leaves fine scratches that hold bacteria and dull the surface.
Chewing it. Very common, and it stretches and thins the material exactly where protection matters.
The bottom of a kit bag. Loose in a bag it gets crushed, picks up grit, and never dries out. Use the case.
Pets. Dogs are remarkably drawn to them.

Deep-clean it now and then

Even with regular brushing, a chalky film of hardened saliva and biofilm builds up over a season. Every week or two, soak the guard in an effervescent cleaner made for dental appliances following the pack timing, then rinse it thoroughly. Avoid household bleach and alcohol-based mouthwash, which can discolour and weaken the material.

Check the fit through the season

A gumshield only protects while it still fits. Worth checking every so often for:

Tears, thin patches or chewed areas
A guard that feels loose, rocks, or drops when you talk
Permanent cloudiness or distortion after heat exposure

Replace it by condition rather than to a set timescale — once it is torn, worn thin, out of shape or no longer seating snugly, it has stopped doing its job.

This matters most for children and teenagers. A young player’s jaw is still growing and teeth are still erupting, so a guard that fitted perfectly in September may not fit by the spring. Check it through the season rather than waiting for a complaint.

A clean guard is a worn guard

It is worth saying plainly: the most common reason a mouthguard fails to protect is that it was not in the player’s mouth. Guards that are cloudy, smelly or uncomfortable get left in the bag — so keeping one clean is not just hygiene, it is the simplest way to make sure it actually gets worn.

Made to fit, in our UK lab

We make custom sports gumshields to prescription in our Christchurch lab, from an upper-arch impression or scan, in 67 designs and over 30 colours — with a warranty against manufacturing faults. You can design your own in 3D first, and for squads, schools and year groups see team and club orders.

For why fit matters more than anything else, see custom vs boil-and-bite mouthguards.

FAQ

Common questions

How do I clean a sports mouthguard after a match?

Rinse it under cool running water as soon as it comes out, then brush it gently with a soft toothbrush and cool water — a little mild soap is fine. Let it air-dry fully before it goes back in the case. Never use hot water.

Can I clean a mouthguard with toothpaste?

Better not to. Most toothpastes are mildly abrasive and leave fine scratches that trap bacteria and dull the finish. A soft brush with cool water and mild soap does the job without damaging the surface.

Why does my mouthguard smell?

Because it goes into a case or kit bag while still damp, which is exactly what bacteria need. Rinse it, brush it, and let it dry completely before storing. If it has already picked up an odour, soak it in an effervescent cleaner made for dental appliances and rinse well.

How should a gumshield be stored between matches?

Dry, in a ventilated case, out of direct sunlight and away from radiators or a hot car. Heat is the quickest way to distort EVA and ruin the fit — and a case also stops it being crushed at the bottom of a kit bag.

When should a sports mouthguard be replaced?

Replace it by condition rather than to a set timescale — once it is torn, worn thin, permanently cloudy, chewed out of shape, or no longer seats snugly. A guard that has stopped fitting properly has stopped protecting properly.

Do children need their mouthguards replaced more often?

Usually yes. A child's jaw is still growing and new teeth are still coming through, so a guard that fitted at the start of a season may not fit by the end of it. Check the fit regularly through the season rather than waiting for it to feel loose.

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