How Long Do Mouthguards Last?

Do you suffer from bruxism when you sleep at night? Maybe you play sports and take part in physical activities regularly which put your teeth and gums at risk of being chipped, damaged, or knocked out entirely?

It might be time to speak to your dentist and to ask about the possibility of having a custom mouthguard fitted.

Mouthguards are simple dental devices which are designed to fit snugly over the teeth to help protect the teeth and the gums from damage and trauma.

People wear mouthguards when engaging in physically demanding contact sports, or when they sleep at night because they grind their teeth.

Whatever your reasons for needing a mouthguard may be, it’s crucial to choose the right kind and that you know how to look after it, and when to replace it.

But how long do mouthguards last, and can you prolong their shelf life? Let’s take a better look.

How long do mouthguards last?

How long is a piece of string? In reality, we can’t answer that question accurately and we can’t answer the mouthguard question accurately because there are so many different variables to consider.

It's also worth noting that the durability of mouthguards can vary considerably based on brand, type and materials.

If you don’t look after your mouthguard for example, or if you suffer with extreme bruxism (teeth grinding) it will wear out much quicker than it would if you looked after it. The quality of your mouthguard will also play a role.

To help give you a rough idea however, a good quality mouthguard that has been well maintained could last between 3 and 5 years on average. Dentists however, state that a good rule of thumb is to aim to replace your mouthguard once every year.

How to get the most from your mouthguard

Now that we’ve answered the question of how long do mouthguards last, we’ll now look at what you can do to prolong the life of your mouthguard to enable it to last longer.

A few tried and tested measures include:

Don’t chew on your mouthguard

This should go without saying, but one of the simplest ways of prolonging the life of a mouthguard is to ensure that you don’t chew on it.

When wearing a mouthguard, it can be tempting to chew on it and you may not even notice you’re doing so. This, however, is the last thing you should do as chewing it will wear it out quicker and damage it.

Clean it thoroughly

Another way to get more from your mouthguard is to clean it properly.

Far too many people assume that rinsing a mouthguard under running water is enough to clean it after it’s been used when this is simply the case at all. Mouthguards are breeding grounds for germs and bacteria and this can cause them to lose their integrity if left to accumulate, which is the last thing you want.

To avoid this, clean it thoroughly with specialist cleaning solutions and techniques to ensure it’s clean and sterile.

Store safely

When not in use, make sure you store your mouthguard safely.

Ensure it is clean, sterile, and completely dry and store it somewhere cool, dark, and dry, away from direct sunlight.

How often should you replace a mouthguard?

If you have a basic mouthguard, dentists recommend that you replace it once every twelve months, though if you really care for it and maintain it, you can stretch this out to 18 months.

How long do dental mouthguards last?

If you speak to your dentist about the possibility of having a custom dental mouthguard made and fitted, if you care for it and really look after it, it could last as long as 3 – 5 years, if not a touch longer in fact.

Do mouthguards wear out?

Yes.

Mouthguards, like most things, do wear out eventually and will need to be replaced. How soon will depend on the quality of the device, and whether or not you looked after it and maintained it.

Get your custom mouthguard fitted now!

If you need a mouthguard don’t put it off any longer, pick up the phone and get in touch with the friendly team at Dental Armour today!

Here at Dental Armour, we specialise in custom dental mouthguards and other similar devices. We can have a high end, top quality, mouthguard made specifically for you, moulded specifically to your teeth for the ultimate in comfort and protection.