3 Home Remedies To Fix Your Uncomfortable Mouthguard
Like all athletic equipment, your mouthguard takes some wear and tear over the course of a long season. And similar to your helmet or shoulder pads, your mouthguard may need a few adjustments in the offseason.
Like all athletic equipment, your mouthguard takes some wear and tear over the course of a long season. And similar to your helmet or shoulder pads, your mouthguard may need a few adjustments in the offseason.While adjusting your mouthguard may seem tricky, there are actually some simple home remedies you may use to help fix minor things like tightness and slight tears or rips. These fixes work for all mouthguards, from generic boil-and-bite to custom-made, and saves you the hassle of sending your mouthguard back to the manufacturer or needing to get a new one entirely.
Let’s take a look at three small issues you may have with your mouthguard and minor adjustments that you could make to correct them. Just please use caution, as altering your mouthguard incorrectly could affect its performance and protection, and if you are under the age of 18, please have adult supervision:
1. Extra Material
If there is a small area of your mouthguard that is causing discomfort or you feel there is a little bit of extra material where it doesn’t belong:
- Warm a small utility knife.
- Using the warmed knife, carefully shave off the area around the spot irritating your mouth.
- Be careful not to puncture the mouthguard or cut the material.
2. Too Tight
If your mouthguard is pressing too hard on your teeth or gums, locate the area that is causing discomfort — the most common place for pressure is around the edge of the mouthguard, above your front teeth:
- Heat a pot of water until boiling.
- If you have a custom mouthguard: using tongs (you may also want to wear oven mitts), hold the mouthguard over the boiling water for approximately 10 seconds. Do not submerge your custom mouthguard; simply expose the area causing discomfort to the heat just above the water.
- If you have a boil-and-bite mouthguard: using tongs (you may also want to wear oven mitts), submerge the area of the mouthguard causing discomfort into the boiling water for approximately 10 seconds.
- Remove the guard from the heat/water and immediately place in your mouth.
- Keep the mouthguard in your mouth for 20 seconds or until it cools, constantly applying pressure. If necessary, repeat as many times as needed.
3. Slight Abrasion, Rip Or Tear
If there is a slight abrasion, rip or tear in your mouthguard causing discomfort:
- Find a smooth metal surface (a spoon works best).
- Heat the metal and apply a small amount of cooking oil or edible lubricant.
- Using the heated and lubricated metal surface, gently smooth out the rough area. The heated metal helps to shape or smooth the guard, while the lubricant ensures that the metal surface doesn’t stick to the mouthguard or pull the material, making the area worse.
However, if the tear or rip in your mouthguard is more severe or continues to cause discomfort, you will want to get a new mouthguard.
When you follow these simple instructions — with the help and supervision of an adult — it’s easy to fix minor comfort issues and adjust your mouthguard from home.
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Hi I have a problem with my mouthguard, it is smooth but where my tongue rests onto the mouthguard has become rough, and I can’t understand why this is. I have tried cleaning it with toothpaste bicarbonate sofa but this hasn’t work. It’s not dirty, as I have tried scrubbing it clean. It just feels really rough, and it feels like it may be permanent, I hope this is clear and hopefully you came help, thank you
Hi Chris. Two ways we can fix this if this is a Gladiator you are referring to. Easiest but longer, is to send the model and mouthguard back to us with details of where the discomfort is and we can fix it very quickly. Or you can try at home. If you spray the back of a metal spoon with cooking spray and heat it with a lighter, you can attempt to smooth out the area. Please be careful, as heat makes the guards and therefore will distort it if there is too much heat. Also be sure the spoon is slick with the cooking spray so it does not stick and you keep it moving over the area and not just holding still. Depending on how sharp or rough this area is, the at home method is usually easy and effective.
My killer cub by damage control mouthguard makes me gag during sparring is there a way to adjust it ? Or will I need to find a different brand ?
Most boil-and-bite guards you can adjust by trimming. However, a custom-fit mouthguard is always going to be your best solution to a sensitive gag reflex as it will be thinner in those sensitive areas and it can be specifically made to you adding extra adjustment to avoid these areas while still providing the protection you need. We think you would be much happier looking into the Gladiator Pro style: https://gladiatorguards.com/product/gladiator-pro/
Hi, I got a night guard for my lower teeth few days ago. When I wear it one side (left) feels a bit higher than the other. When I take it out in the morning, my left teeth don’t align for some time, and my bite feels off… Is this common or should I ttalk to my dentist?
Hi Alex. You should contact who you got the nightguard from. We did not see an order under your name, so we are assuming you got this through a dentist. There should be adjustments that can be made to help you with this issue. If you did order through us, please contact Customer Service and they can help you right away!
my nike hyperflow mouthguard is too tight what should i do
We would suggest you retry the boil-and-bite fitting process without pushing and sucking as hard this time. If you are still not getting the desired fit, a custom mouthguard is going to be far superior with regard to fit than any boil-and-bite.
thank you going to try right now
great home remedies… sure i will apply this tips.. hope this will give some relief..
I woke up to my tooth and a little bit of my tongue bleeding. I wear a custom night guard the dentist ordered for me. Does this mean my night guard is loose? I had to get a night guard because I clench my teeth in my sleep.
It is difficult to know the specific cause to your problem without direct evaluation. You should be able to feel if it is too loose. Chances are you bit your tongue in your sleep and you’re clenching very tightly. Your nightguard may also be getting worn out and need to be replaced.
Hi,
I bought a mouthguard (Venom) and although it fitted nicely when i adjusted it, after a couple of trainings it is not symmetric anymore!! From the one side, i do not bite the bottom surface but merely the side of it… I hope you understand what i mean…
Should i do again the whole procedure with the water etc ?
Thanks a lot!
John
Hi John,
Thank you for the question. While we do not work closely with the Venom, you can probably try the boil-and-bite fitting again. It sounds like you may have chewed it some what though or have needs that a standard mouthguard will not work for. You should look into a custom mouthguard and possibly even our Raptor upgrade designed for additional chewing durability.
Thanks for your answer!
So, it will not ruin it if i apply again the boil-and-bite procedure after so many days, right ? Because this is my fear….
John
Hi John,
Again, the Venom is not our product. But generally speaking with boil-and-bites you should be able to refit at least that area one more time.
Will the too tight method work for a mouthguard that is too loose? Thanks in advance!
Hi Jamie, it can but with regard to a custom mouthguard it is better to use the same methods it is created with (high heat and pressure equipment) to try and tighten it up.
the question was how do I stop it from sticking to my top lip
Hi Wayne. It sounds as though your mouthguard may not have a smooth finish or may have become rough over time causing your upper lip to stick. You may want to try and smooth the surface or look into replacing it if there is a lot of wear and tear. Generally, a mouthguard should be replaced every year.