Why Does My Night Guard Smell Bad? (And What to Do About It)

No one wants to put something that stinks in their mouth, even if it’s as helpful as your custom-made night guard designed to keep you from grinding your teeth. However, a smelly night guard happens to the best of us after we’ve used it for a while. 

After weeks or months of consistent wear, the saliva and bacteria in your oral health can impact your favorite night guard. Must you hold your nose and wear it anyway, or is there something you can do to get rid of the stench?

In this blog, we’ll explain why your night guard smells bad, how to prevent this from happening in the future, and what you can do about it so you can enjoy the benefits of your oral appliance without the stinky downsides.

Why Does Your Night Guard Stink?

The good news about a smelly night guard is that the odor means you’re probably using it right. 

These oral appliances are designed to keep your teeth from touching in your sleep in order to avoid jaw clenching and grinding (bruxism). They’re most effective if used consistently, but, like anything that sees frequent use, they need to be cared for regularly, too.

The Science Behind Your Smelly Night Guard

We’ve all had halitosis, or bad breath, before, even if we didn’t realize it ourselves. There’s also a good chance you’ve been on the receiving end of someone else’s unpleasant mouth odor.

Yet, just because it can happen to anyone doesn’t mean you want to ignore the reason behind this common bodily symptom.

Bad breath occurs when saliva and bacteria accumulate in the mouth. Saliva is necessary because it helps good bacteria survive while flushing out bad bacteria and food particles. Because your mouth is the perfect environment for microorganisms to survive and multiply—dark and moist—cleaning it regularly is necessary.

But in between your evening and morning tooth brushing, you wear your night guard. The bacteria and moisture in your mouth transfer to the night guard for 6-8 hours of mostly closed-mouth breathing. During that period, your salivary glands aren’t doing their full job of rinsing out the ever-populating bacteria.

Bacteria and other particles not rinsed away or cleaned off the night guard become plaque. This sticky substance starts filmy and slimy, then hardens and becomes tartar, which calcifies and discolors the teeth and night guard. Tartar gives bacteria yet another ideal breeding ground in your mouth and on your dental appliance, causing those smelly odors. 

Removing this hardened plaque requires special tools. Brushing and flossing aren’t enough. In the meantime, tartar buildup leads to gum disease, cavities, and halitosis. Untreated, what started as an innocent unclean night guard may eventually become tooth-loss-causing tartar.

How Can You Get Rid of a Stinky Night Guard Odor?

Worried that your unpleasant-smelling night guard is a sign of a big problem? Don’t be!

Almost everyone will deal with this side effect at some point in a new night guard journey. As with any dental appliance, like retainers, it can take time to understand the nuances of caring for yours.

Keep in mind that certain habits or lifestyle factors are linked with an increase in bacterial growth. If any of the following is something you deal with regularly, you may need to clean your night guard more often to keep the smell away:

• Poor oral hygiene, leading to a buildup of bacteria and food particles

• Tobacco and alcohol use, which dries out the mouth and increases bad breath

• Infrequent dental visits, meaning you miss out on regular professional cleanings that could have removed plaque and tartar before they cause damage to the teeth and gums

• Tooth decay, gum disease, or other dental health problems that increase bacteria production

• Eating notoriously strong-smelling foods like onions, garlic, and fish

• Not drinking enough water, drying out your salivary glands and causing dehydration

• Medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, or sinus issues

• Breathing through your mouth, a behavior that forces the salivary glands to work harder and leads to dry mouth

• Regular dry mouth (reduced saliva), sometimes caused by medication

Most people have at least one of these factors at any given time. If you do, too, your night guard odor will happen more frequently than expected. Prevention through regular cleaning is crucial if you don’t want to deal with the smell.

Eliminating the Smell of Your Night Guard

If it’s too late for prevention and your night guard already stinks, what can you do?

You already know how important this little gadget is to a good night’s sleep, and you don’t want to throw it away and wait for a new one! But putting it in your mouth when it smells so bad is a bit, well, off-putting.

The solution? It’s time for a night guard deep cleaning!

Ultrasonic Cleaner

If you’re looking for the fastest and easiest way to deep clean your night guard (and keep it clean in the future), consider an ultrasonic cleaner.

These handy gadgets use ultrasonic waves to create a process called cavitation (millions of high-frequency bubbles) to eliminate all the microorganisms hiding in the nooks and crannies of everything they clean!

Our ultrasonic cleaner is a night guard germ killer, plus you can use it to shine up everything from jewelry to your toothbrush head!

Home Remedies

But if you don’t want to invest in a new machine or wait until it arrives to get rid of the night guard smell, you can clean yours with a soft-bristled toothbrush and non-abrasive dish soap or castile soap.

Another easy option is to mix distilled white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide and let your guard soak for a few minutes. Any of these treatments should effectively remove the bacteria and buildup causing the unpleasant odors.

Pro tip: Never soak your night guard in anything for longer than one hour. This can damage the material your device is made out of. Never use a liquid that contains alcohol, like mouthwash.

How Can You Prevent Night Guard Odor?

Most people wear night guards to prevent damage to the teeth, gums, and jaw muscles from bruxism (teeth grinding) or to reduce the symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs).

Skipping the use of this essential oral appliance is not an option, but avoiding the smelly buildup doesn’t have to be a side effect.

Adding preventative steps to your daily habits can help you avoid the familiar odor of regular night guard use. When removing your mouth guard, rinse the appliance with warm water and a clean toothbrush. Never use hot water because higher temperatures can warp the material. Dry it thoroughly before putting it back in its case. 

Daily cleaning is as basic as a rinse and gentle scrub (no toothpaste added). But extra weekly and monthly care will keep your device odor-free and ensure a longer lifespan.

Weekly Cleanings

The easiest way to clean your night guard once a week is to drop it in warm water and add a denture cleaner tablet. Follow the directions on the package, typically leaving your night guard to soak in the fizzy water for 3-5 minutes.

Another effective method using ingredients you may have around the house is the baking soda soak:

1. Mix equal parts baking soda and water until it forms a paste.

2. Add the mixture to a night guard cleaning-only toothbrush.

3.  Gently scrub the surfaces.

4. Rinse and dry well.

You can also use soap and a washcloth. However, the soap must be non-perfumed and alcohol-free, such as dish or castile. 

A night-guard spray (like our spearmint-flavored version) is effective and tasty. After a quick spritz of the cleanser and a 60-second wait, you’re ready to use or store your device.

Monthly Cleanings

Beyond the standard cleanings, a strong, once-a-month treatment keeps the bacteria away. This monthly regimen could be your ultrasonic cleaner, as mentioned earlier, or you can use a distilled white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide rinse. 

Directions for this monthly treatment are simple:

1. Grab a glass and place your night guard in it

2. Cover the appliance with vinegar and let it soak for half an hour.

3. Remove and rinse with cool water.

4. Using a clean glass, follow the same steps using hydrogen peroxide.

5. After rinsing, allow the night guard to dry completely before storing it in its case.

With regular cleaning practices, the bacteria that produce the foul smell you want to avoid don’t have time to multiply.

When Should You Replace Your Night Guard?

Sometimes, that smell is a warning that it’s time for a new night guard, and that’s okay. Night guards aren’t designed to last forever.

How long yours stays in good shape depends on factors like how often you’re wearing it, how intense your grinding is, and the quality of the material. 

Frequent use and moderate to severe grinding will wear down the appliance faster than average use. Regular maintenance can increase the lifespan of your guard, but it still won’t last forever.

You may need a new night guard if you notice any of the following signs:

• The material is warped, cracked, or otherwise damaged.

• The night guard no longer fits comfortably, which could be a sign that your teeth or jaw have moved.

• You’ve had dental work that changed your bite.

• It has discoloration or calcification that won’t come off with the usual cleaning methods.

Over-the-counter night guards are inexpensive but don’t usually last long because of the lower-quality material they’re made from. You can replace an OTC guard without the instant deeper hit to your wallet, but you’ll be buying it more often (and doing the impression process frequently, too).

On the other hand, buying and replacing a night guard from your dentist’s office can cost you close to a thousand dollars or more. 

There’s an in-between option, though!

Our custom-fit night guards at JS Dental Lab are of professional quality and crafted for your unique smile at a fraction of the cost of similar oral appliances from your dentist.

Even better, when it’s time to replace your night guard, we already have your impression on file, so it’s easy to order a new one, complete with a reorder discount!

Conclusion

The next time you wrinkle your nose at the odors coming from your beloved night guard, don’t put it in your mouth! Instead, use one of the cleaning treatments in this blog and enjoy the germ-free, odor-free, and grinding-free benefits of this essential dental appliance.

Shop our cleaning devices and custom-made night guard options at JS Dental Lab today!